


Like Every Legend Before Us

by AlexxAplin, ConeyIslandBlitz



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Anal Sex, Awkwardness, Bamf Quentin, Bondage, Character Death, Check Notes for Chapter Specific Warnings, Come Swallowing, Fix-It, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Light BDSM, M/M, Oral Sex, Post-Season/Series 04, Sex Magic, Smut, The Magicians Season 4 Ending Fix-It, Wall Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 07:16:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18823774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexxAplin/pseuds/AlexxAplin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConeyIslandBlitz/pseuds/ConeyIslandBlitz
Summary: Quentin's death is not the end of this story. Far from it in fact. After being given an offer, and a challenge, Quentin finds his way home. Afterward, discoveries lead to new beginnings, and joyful endings. (Also known as - If Season 5 wasn't written by wanks with a Torture Porn Complex)





	1. Our Story Isn't Over

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank Soliyra for Beta reading, and ConeyIslandBlitz for writing this with me! 
> 
> Also the #FilloryFam for encouraging me and giving me a place to vent.
> 
> (Also, Chapter 1 has a few surprise appearances by plot threads SJH left behind, with a noticeable Orpheus/Eurydice theme further in.)

There was a moment as Quentin watched his own funeral, a brief, fleeting moment that he thought “ _this is okay_.” That moment was interrupted (in a timely fashion) by the sight of Eliot and Margo joining the rest of his friends, singing and mourning him, as Penny talked about how he should savor this “ _genuine grief._ ”

Yet, even as he stood there, smiling with tears in his eyes, a small voice began to grow inside his head.

“ _This isn’t right. I can’t leave them. I’m not ready. I didn’t get to say goodbye…_ ”

That voice persisted, even as Quentin followed Penny to the Metro; and even as he got on it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t until he saw a familiar face, that the voice was given true attention. He was seated in a (surprisingly uncomfortable) metro seat, when none other than Persephone herself appeared.

“ _Hello Quentin. We’ve not had the pleasure of meeting in person yet. I… wish it were under better circumstances._ ” The goddess spoke calmly, her eyes seeming to drill through him like she was studying him.

“ _Uhh… Hi, I… Persephone right? Or is it Our Lady Underground? You don’t normally greet souls on the Metro, so… or do you?_ ” Quentin was confused, and honestly a little concerned. His interactions with gods and god-adjacent beings, (Julia excluded) had never been all that positive.

A soft, melodious chuckle was his answer, as Persephone shook her head. “ _No, I don’t, and yet… you are a special case. You’re not ready to go, are you?_ ” It was phrased as a question, and yet they both knew the truth.

“ _No, I…_ ” Quentin pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, as if it would stave off the growing headache. He was dead, why did he have a headache?

“ _I tried to find peace in saving my friends, but all I can think about is_ \---“

“ _All you can think about are those you left behind. I’m not surprised; perhaps you and Julia are more alike than I once thought. Come._ ” She rose from where she had been seated across from Quentin, and with a wave of her hand the door nearest them opened.

Quentin found himself following her, even as his brain screamed

“ **THIS IS A MOVING BUS/TRAIN/THING WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!** ” 

He followed her lead as she stepped out the open door, seeming no worse for wear. She offered her hand, and he gratefully took it, settling on the ground as he felt (rather than saw) the metro continue on its path.

“ _I cannot give you life anew, but I can put you on the path_ ,” Persephone told him, taking his hands in hers. “ _It will be a trial, but I know you are up to the task, Quentin Coldwater_.”

Rather than being sensible and not looking a gift horse in the mouth, Quentin found himself speaking. “ _But… why? What makes you want to help me? What do you get out of this?_ ” he asked, unable to help himself.

Luckily for Quentin, it seemed that Persephone was prepared for that question. “ _You and your friends saved the Old Gods, and saved those of us who remain from utter destruction,_ ” she paused, before she smiled again, “ _Besides, I owe Julia, and she no longer is speaking to me. So, in terms of debts repaid, you will have to do._ ”

Admittedly, it wasn’t the answer Quentin expected, especially when he thought OLU had died; and yet… he wasn’t bothered by it. He merely nodded, awaiting further instructions.

“ _If you wish to return to those you love, take this and follow its guidance to Yggdrasil. The Tree of Knowledge will serve as your way home, and your way to something more. As I told Julia, my gifts may help you, but only if you choose to use them. Life is about choices Quentin, and by returning home, you will need to make many more._ ”

She paused, holding out her hand and showing Quentin a small golden apple.

“ _One bite and you will have the guidance you need, no more, or your shade will rupture._ ”   
  
Quentin reached out with a shaky hand, taking the apple and bringing it to his mouth. Surprisingly, it tasted crisp, but also unlike any apple he had ever eaten. It was a strange sensation; biting into an apple and tasting… peach? How –

His train of thought was interrupted by a voice echoing in his mind. “ _Quentin MakePeace Coldwater. What is it you seek?_ ”

Quentin turned to give the remnants of the apple to Persephone, but as quickly as she appeared, she was gone.

“ ** _What do you seek?_** ” the voice asked again, more impatient this time.

“I want to leave this place, to return to Earth,” Quentin spoke aloud, his feet moving of their own accord down the path.

“ _That answer is a start, but it isn’t what I asked_ ,” the deep, gravelly voice said calmly. “ _What do you seek?_ ” he asked again.

Quentin kept walking, pondering the question until the truth slapped him in the face. “I seek peace,” he answered aloud.

“ _You could not find peace in the underworld? A place of endings and beginnings_?” the voice asked with amusement, as if he knew the answer already.

“N-No. Death -- Oblivion is not the peace I seek.”

For a moment the voice was silent, and then curiously, he spoke again. “ _What sort of peace do you seek then, if my domain is not enough for you?_ ”

“I seek the peace that can only be found in another person.”

“ _You seek the peace within **him** , you mean_.”

Quentin was startled by the voice, his feet coming to a stop at a loamy, fertile field. The field itself wasn’t all that dissimilar to---

“When I died, I expected to feel the peace that I felt in Fillory; not the kingdom, but in that tiny house, where I raised my son with Eliot,” Quentin answered finally. He knelt in the dirt, compelled to bury (or plant) the apple he had bitten. As he covered it with the soft, fertile soil, he felt the ground shake for a moment, and then suddenly Hades was standing in front of him.

“She was right; you are what is needed. It was not your time,” Hades said calmly, standing in front of Quentin wearing a full 3-piece suit. He stood, studying Quentin for a moment before he reached into Quentin’s chest, smirking a bit as Quentin looked at him in panic.

“Do not fear, if I wanted you dead it would have come to pass already,” the Lord of the Underworld spoke, seeming amused and bored in equal measure.

Quentin felt a blooming feeling in his chest, warmth that spread from the center of his being, outward. It was like sunshine on his skin, but _inside_ of him.

“Go to the tree. It will take you where you want to go. Just remember, there are no third chances.” The words carried an omen within them, a warning perhaps.

Immediately afterward there was a flash of light, as the apple Quentin planted created a large vine, which lifted Quentin into the air and flung him toward what he slowly began to realize was a giant tree.

“ ** _OH SHIT_**!” he bellowed as he tried to shield his face, only to land quite comfortably in what seemed to be a temple.

The temple was empty, save for a single portal, with the word “Earth” written on it in various languages. Hades’ voice echoed in his mind again, “ _There is your way out. Yggdrasil is the foundation all worlds are built upon. It takes a strong will to get this opportunity. The choice is yours, Coldwater. Take it, and our blessing_.”

When Quentin stepped through the portal, he froze immediately. He was on a long corridor, and could only see the stained glass floor ahead.

“ _Do not look back. If you look back, you will never make it home and will be lost in the abyss,_ ” a gravelly voice whispered. It was a voice that Quentin could only speculate belonged to Charon, the Ferryman.

“Great… another test,” Quentin muttered, stepping forward slowly, but as he began to walk, he heard things, so many voices. It spurred him on into a full sprint, trying to block out the sounds of those false voices, those lies designed to make him look back.

“Don’t look back. Don’t look back. They’re just trying to stack the deck against you. You can do this!” He told himself, closing his eyes to try and block it all out.

“Come on Quentin, stay with me. We can try again? Maybe we’ll have some _Quinnwater_ babies…” Not-Alice crooned from behind him in what seemed to be an attempt at seduction.

“Oh Q, it’s **adorable** that you think we haven’t moved on,” Not-Julia’s voice spoke in a condescending manner.

“Just give up Coldwater, we don’t _need_ you. We’ll be fiiiine,” Not-Margo chimed in, another obvious attempt at reinforcing everything negative he thought about himself.

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT THE _FUCK **UP**_!” Quentin yelled, pausing in his run for just a split second. The voices went silent for a moment.

He took a deep breath, attempting to steel himself and calm his nerves. A voice made him falter. “If you had any other option, you wouldn’t choose me.”

It was Eliot’s voice, and tears began to stream down Quentin’s cheeks at the memory. “When I get out of here El, I’ll prove it to you. I’ll prove to you that you’re the one I choose,” he vowed, steeling his resolve as he began to run again. He opened his eyes just in time to see the stained glass floor just… stop. There was a wide gap between the path, and the door.

“Nowhere to run Q, nowhere to hide either,” Kady’s voice sing-songed from behind him as he tried to figure out what to do; she was right, it was a dead end. This was another test, wasn’t it?

“And the saddest part is, you’ve seen what gods are like, so you can’t even take a leap of faith. Oh, it’s so deliciously tragic!” Ember’s voice giggled in response.

It was that comment that made Quentin pause. Faith, Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, so many pop culture references crossed his mind. “ _Don’t look back,_ ” the gravelly voice of Charon repeated. “ _Beneath that path lies the Abyss, and somewhere below, the River Styx. You will not survive the fall_.”

Quentin gulped. “One more test, one more chance. I won’t let any of you down, not again,” he whispered, before he took a chance and reached out with his foot, the stained glass seeming to extend under his feet. He grinned triumphantly, and began the short run to the glowing door at the end of the path.

“You sure you wanna risk that, Coldwater? You never were anything more than a dragon-humping _nerd_ ,” Penny’s voice drawled from behind him.

Quentin chuckled derisively. “I know. I know that I’m not a hero. I know that in the grand scheme, I matter about as much as a mouse farting in the wind. The difference is, I’m not done yet. I need them more than they need me, but that’s okay.”

The door, which had no doorknob or handle, swung open, letting a sharp gust of air out that urged him toward the door. “I’m coming home,” he whispered, before diving through the final portal and landing flat on his back.

\------

When Quentin "landed" after taking the portal from the great tree, he paused for a moment, looking around and getting familiar with the world around him again. "Was everything always this loud?" he asked himself, shifting his feet and wiggling his toes a little to test the sensation.

He then realized that he had no idea where he was, or how to get back to his friends. "Hm..." it was then that an idea struck him hard, remembering the false mental hospital hallucination, where he had fucked with Penny a la Taylor Swift.

He then just began screeching Taylor Swift in his head as loudly as possible, off key, in the most obnoxious way possible, hoping Penny would notice. It might not work, but he really would rather travel out of this field, rather than walk to civilization.

-

Penny had just gotten to Fillory to check up on Eliot and Margo when he swore he heard some off-key singing.

"Is that... is that Taylor Swift?" He wondered out loud.

The name piques Eliot's attention, because he knew Quentin was a fan and honestly it took a lot to hold back tears, and yet... there was a hope. A spark had ignited in his chest.

"God that's obnoxious... and off-key..." it took a good minute before he recognized the voice that was singing.


	2. Homecoming and Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quentin makes it home, Secrets are Revealed, and a new Quest Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Plot this chapter, mostly tying up some unresolved issues in Season 4. The Smut is coming, but not until Chapter 7. Also Kady is channeling her inner Sara Lance in this chapter.

"Come on Penny, I know you can hear me, you dick! Come and fucking get me!" Quentin said, interrupting his deliberately obnoxious singing to curse at him. What was taking him so long? was he deliberately ignoring Quentin? Or was he in disbelief that it was actually Quentin that he was hearing? Quentin was beginning to doubt himself but he quickly shook it off (pun fully intended) and continued on, more determined to get through to him.

Quentin was almost about to give up, when he heard (more than saw) the sound of Penny teleporting behind him. "Holy shit. How..." He looked at Quentin, watching him cautiously as he began to circle him.

"Oh! Penny, good; I was hoping you'd hear me. Where the hell am I?" Quentin didn’t blame him for circling, though the scrutiny made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Where are you? I think the bigger question is how are you alive?!"

Quentin blinked a little. "Well, I was dead, and now, I'm… not. It’s a long story, so can we uh... get out of here first?"

"No way, Coldwater; you explain everything to me _right now_." Penny crossed his arms in a defiant stance against Quentin.

"God, in every timeline you're a _raging dick_ \- look, if we can just- just find everybody, then I can explain the whole thing just one time because I'll be **damned** if I have to do a Margo-fresh-outta-the-desert. That was just infuriating," Quentin snapped and ranted.

When Penny didn't move, Quentin sighed. "Fucking- **fuck**!  Okay fine. Look. I fucking- I watched the funeral you guys held for me thanks to the other Penny, and then I got on the metro, but Persephone stopped me, and gave me an opportunity to come back as a reward for saving their asses by getting rid of the monster. Now I'm here. I can fill in the rest with everyone else. Deal?"

Penny looked at him, still in amazement because he saw this guy die, and here he is. He broke his resolve, deeming Quentin’s explanation satisfactory.

"Alright, deal. Who do you wanna see first?"

Quentin frowned, hesitating for a moment. The first person that came to mind was Eliot, but... that was a heavy bit of emotional baggage just waiting to happen. He paused, rolling all the different options around in his mind. "Uhh, Jules? Maybe?" he asked, "I would say Eliot but I think I need to be alive again for more than five seconds before I open Pandora's Box. Speaking of, though... how is he?"

Quentin knew he wasn't subtle, and he knew Penny would see right through him, but he couldn't help it really.

"Man... he is not okay. He's gone full widow for you. I only had to mention Taylor Swift the moment I heard you and he nearly broke down in tears. He's in Fillory with Margo right now, but sure, we can find Jules first. She never got a chance to say goodbye to you, either. None of us did. She'll be happy to see you again. Come on," Penny said in such a calm demeanor that Quentin immediately got worried.

_Was it really wise to save Eliot for last_?

Nevertheless, he took the hand Penny had offered and they blipped away to find themselves in the penthouse Kady had stolen from Marina.

Quentin took a deep breath, swallowing hard. He worried about Eliot, always had, but now... well, there was so much to worry for. When they landed in the penthouse, Quentin raised an eyebrow, looking around. "Julia's using this old place? I mean, I'm surprised Marina let her... wait, where is Marina anyway?" he looked around, wondering where Julia was also.

Penny shrugged in response to the question. “Haven’t seen Marina since we both got snatched,” he answered with another shrug.

Quentin raised an eyebrow at that. "Uh, Jules?" He called, noticing that the place seemed kinda empty. "Are... you sure she's here?" he asked Penny with his usual uncertainty.

"She was before I left for Fillory. JULES!" Penny called out.

Julia was meditating in another room, when Penny's voice shocked her out of it. She frowned, immediately rushing out to see what he wanted, before she froze. "P-Penny, please tell me I’m not hallucinating," she whispered quietly.

Quentin smiled awkwardly. "Uhh, hey, Jules. No, you're not hallucinating. I'm here. Like, really here. It took me longer than I intended to get back, but uhhh... yeah. Hi?"

Julia stayed still for what Quentin felt was way too long; she was really taking him in, almost refusing to believe that he'd come back just like that. She cautiously stepped forward, Quentin being as patient as ever because of course this was bound to happen, he'd taken this into account when he returned to Earth. Next thing he knew, her arms were wrapped tightly around him and he felt her sobbing into his shoulder, lost for words.

"Hey Jules, it's okay, I'm really here. I'm not going anywhere. I missed you too," Quentin whispered to her in reassurance, his hands stroking her back the way he always knew to comfort her.

"H-How?" Julia managed after a few minutes of trying to compose herself, still holding tightly to Quentin, almost afraid he would vanish before she got a chance to really soak it in.

Quentin paused, weighing his options. He ultimately decided on the truth. "Well, I actually have you to thank, because my return is all thanks to someone owing you a favor."

"That someone being...? Wait- Not Our Lady Underground, surely?" she asked with reasonable skepticism.

"The very same," Quentin answered with an awkward smile like he could barely believe it himself.

Quentin moved to sit down, chuckling when Julia unceremoniously draped herself across his lap. "She said you aren't speaking to her, which- I mean... metaphysical blocked numbers are kinda hilarious," he grinned, "but she said she owed you one, and since I helped the gods by getting rid of those siblings... I would, quote, "have to do," so she and Hades gave me a hand," he said honestly.

He then blinked a little. "Oh, that reminds me. She told me something that seemed important, but I’m not sure why. She kept talking about her gifts being your choice. She made a point to keep referring to your choice and I'm not sure... why?"

Julia shifted nervously in Quentin's lap, and took one look at Penny. Quentin followed her gaze, as if to question and put two and two together.

"Jules... did something happen to you?"

Julia could barely look at Quentin, almost like she was ashamed of the turn of events on her part. She then took a deep breath and explained, "When... when the Monster's Sister possessed me, she killed Persephone. Just like that,” Julia snapped her fingers, “and I recall her telling me I had to choose between humanity and godhood. But then... the Sister was expelled from my body and... The choice was made for me."

Quentin raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't think her death stuck," he said honestly. "She seemed pretty firm on the fact that the choice was yours, and that no one could make it for you, not really. So, maybe there's more to this than we know? I mean, there's a lot to do and I need to catch up on what I’ve missed, but..."

He took a breath, closing his eyes before he put his hands out, giving Julia a good look as magic manifested in his palms, no finger movement necessary. "I'm uh, a little--"

"What the fuck is that? Are you a god now? Do they even let super-nerds do that?" Penny asked, mostly joking.

"I- I... I don't know, maybe, I-" Quentin was equally as speechless because he had no idea how to explain this himself. Could he really have been given the same gift as Julia was once given? Or was he meant to pass it onto her?

Quentin felt an instinctual sort of pull, and before he knew what he was doing, his hands (light and all) took Julia's hands gently. "Whatever you choose, I support you," Quentin said honestly. "I should also mention I don't really know what I’m doing here, so take that how you will."

Penny sighed. "Great. He doesn't know what he's doing. Shit."

Julia gave him a heartfelt, thankful smile. "For what it's worth, Q... neither did I. Not at first. I can help you get the hang of it, if you like?"

"Oh, would you? That'd be amazing, thank you," Quentin said, pulling her into a hug.

Julia looked at Penny and said in Quentin's defense, "And Penny? To be fair, do any of us really know what we're doing most of the time?"

Penny rolled his eyes in defeat. "Yeah, I guess you got a point there."

Quentin was just glad to help. There was so much he had messed up in his life, and maybe this was a second chance? Maybe it was an opportunity to start over and do better?

"So, is it supposed to feel weird? Because I'm weirdly energetic in a way I never was before, and I can't tell if I’ve developed some kind of manic side to my usual depression, or if this is a good thing."

Penny snorted. "At least you're self-aware."

Julia threw a cushion aimed at Penny's face for that remark, though the cushion hit his chest instead. She said to Quentin, "I felt it too, and trust me. It's a good thing. Speaking of your depression... Q... I'm so sorry; I didn't see how badly you were spiraling, and… I really should have known better."

Quentin’s cheeks went slightly pink. "Well, it isn't like we had much time. You were dealing with being possessed, and prior to that we were trying not to die, and having our brains scrambled by Fogg... which I’m still more than a little mad about, by the way," he admitted, before he bit his bottom lip. He then continued, "There were some things I never had a chance to talk to you about either. Like... what happened with Eliot during the quest for the keys."

"Eliot... he burned a peach at that campfire... I take it that has some significance between you two?" Julia said, connecting whatever dots she remembered to connect. Quentin nodded, a slightly choked sigh from trying not to cry.

"Yeah... we, uh... we went on the quest for the Time Key and for that, we had to travel back to Fillory in the past, and solve a mosaic puzzle. The task was to reflect 'the beauty of all life'. Fifty years, a wife and a son later, we finally figured it out: the beauty of all life was to just live it. Eliot died, I had to bury him, and I found a golden tile. I put that in the middle of the mosaic... floor... thing, and out came the key. Which I promptly gave to Jane Chatwin."

"Well... shit, that escalated fast," Penny said honestly, a bit blown away.

"Not really; I wouldn’t exactly call fifty years quick," Julia supplied with some not unkind snark, before she looked to Quentin. "So... that's why you two were weird after that. I sensed you had something going on but... shit, I should have seen it sooner!"

Quentin smiled a watery smile. "Once again, Jules, we don't exactly get much time to chat when we're constantly under threat of death. But... I don’t know- after that, Eliot and I talked, and I told him that fifty years was a pretty damn good proof of concept. I wasn't conflicted about Alice or anything else anymore. He... seemed to think that if I had any other choice, I wouldn't choose him. Then, before I had a chance to prove it, he got possessed and then..." Quentin started to get choked up.

"And then you _died_..." Penny finished, the realization dawning on him. " **Fuck**..."

Penny took a seat, feeling the devastation radiating off Quentin and he couldn't stop his own tears from falling. "Q, man... I'm so sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for, Penny? None of this is your fault. On the bright side, I have this second chance now, to- fuck, I don't know- to sweep him off his feet once and for all, or... something... anyway you said to me yourself that he wasn't okay. Clearly... being possessed has made him realize something. Fuck, I gotta go to him. Like. Now," Quentin said, getting excitable, and wanting to get up and get shit done now. He was feeling a strong motivation like never before.

Julia had tears in her eyes. She felt incredibly guilty for not helping Quentin shoulder this burden. She wondered to herself, ‘ _If I were there for him more, would he even have ended up dying in the first place?_ ’

"Hey," she took his face in her hands, wiping his tears away. "You’re here for me, so I'm here for you. We'll figure this out," she promised, "and... oh!" she looked at Penny, "Do we have any idea what’s even going on over in Fillory? Margo sent me a bunny that said something about a Dark Prince and like, three hundred years or some shit?"

Quentin blinked a little. He was happy for the understanding and the support, but what Julia was saying alarmed him a bit. He asked, "Should we be sitting here talking about this? Or- or helping?"

"Well, I traveled right from Fillory to Quentin, so... I say we help. Q, you clearly have powers that can help them so, your call, man."

Quentin looked at Penny like he asked a stupid question. "We obviously have to go- wait- where's Alice? Maybe she can help too?" Quentin was now firmly in that excitable mindset where he had to spit out three hundred things at once and it was barely coherent but Julia seemed to understand him just fine. She knew not to get in his way when he got like this so she moves her legs from Quentin’s lap; so he could start to pace as he (literally) followed his train of thought.

"She's at the Library helping Kady unite Hedges and Librarians, do you think we can make a quick detour, Penny?"

Penny shrugged, not in protest but also not particularly enthusiastic about heading to the Neitherlands again. Julia followed Quentin in standing up, and they then each took one of Penny's hands, and off they went.

Immediately when they landed, Quentin was surprised. "Woah, this place looks... different, but… not," he commented, looking around at the cold, clinical room, which somehow had managed to have a little bit of warmth to it. "I'm guessing this is Alice's influence? Or... Kady’s?"

Julia shrugged, "I think everyone is doing their best to make the Library something respectable. They're still repairing things and finding out what was hidden here. A few things apparently escaped during the chaos of the final uh... battle? I guess? So they're doing damage control too."

Quentin started walking, with Penny and Julia following behind. He somehow just instinctively knew that Alice was further in. He figured that this new sixth sense of his was meant to help him find whoever he was looking for with ease, all he had to do was think of the person he needed at any given time.

"Oh! Well this is unexpected," Zelda said as she almost ran into them, carrying a stack of books in her arms. "Quentin... how _are_ you here? Did you get some sort of field privileges from the Underworld branch?"

Quentin shook his head. "No, I’m fully alive again- um... is Alice around? I need to see her and it’s kind of important."

"Ah, well... I think she's in the artifacts room, carefully organizing things. Want me to get her?"

Julia shook her head. "No thank you, just..." and before she could finish, Quentin was walking again, with Penny and Julia moving to catch up. Julia called back a "Thank you, Zelda!" as she and Penny practically had to run to keep up with Quentin's impossibly fast pace.

When Quentin stopped at a door, he was about to knock when Penny and Julia bumped into him, making him bump into the door. There were a few hushed ‘sorry’'s but Alice had already heard the commotion, so she went to open the door.

"What the... Quentin?!"

Quentin was trying not to fall _into_ Alice, so he just grabbed the doorframe and bent his hand weirdly to steady himself. "Ow, uhh... hi, so... it’s a long story, but I'm alive again and apparently permanently supercharged. Uh- Can we talk? I don't really want to interrupt what you've got going here but, uhh…" he looked to Julia and Penny for help since his brain was running a tad too fast to process how he needed to approach this correctly.

Julia, thankfully, stepped in to give Quentin a hand. "Hey, so... Persephone and Hades gave Q a hand, and now we're trying to gather up some people to give Eliot and Margo some help in Fillory. You in?" Alice looked at them with suspicion that was not entirely un-founded.

"Please, Alice? You're the best and most skilled Magician we know, so with your capability and... well, whatever divine spirit I seem to be packing since I got back, I think we can defeat this Dark Prince dude-person-thing," Quentin said, managing to get Julia and Penny off him so he can stand up straight. Alice thought for a moment.

"Well, Kady has the battle magic, she can help too. Let's get her and go?" She suggested, as though she were asking for approval, with unanimous agreement.

Quentin nodded, and after getting himself back upright again, he looked to the others to ask, "Did Zelda mention where Kady was?"

Penny shook his head "No, but..." he thought for a moment, "Damn, the wards in this place are still thick as shit. I can't read anyone in here."

Julia looked to Alice. "Do you know where she's at? I mean, Q's a little frazzled, sooo… we could use a level head."

"She's in her office... _talking..._ with a representative from the Underworld branch," Alice said, with that awkward look in her eyes which implied something else.

"Talking...? We'll make sure to knock first then. Lead the way, Alice," Julia responded, with a smirk she was failing to hide. Julia had a feeling she knew _exactly_ what Kady was up to.

"Uh, I'll hang back a bit. Something tells me that even though Kady's voice was beautiful at my funeral, she might punch me if I’m the one that knocks," Quentin admitted quietly, sharing a look with Penny before he let Alice and Julia take the lead, not willing to take on an angry Kady if she was mad for whatever reason.

"Well you’re not wrong; she does tend to get punchy sometimes," Penny agreed. In the short time he had known everyone; he at least knew that about Kady.

"I don't think there's anyone here that hasn't been punched by Kady by now to be honest," Alice admitted quietly.

"That's kind of why she fits with us so well though right? I mean someone's gotta do the punching and it sure as hell ain’t me," Quentin shrugged.

"Yup, and if Margo isn't present, it’s gonna be Kady," Julia grinned, knocking at Kady's office door once they reached it.

"Don't worry boys, we'll protect you," Alice added with an almost uncharacteristically playful smile. Quentin wondered if she’d finally found her place, running the Library. He mused that for a Physical Kid, she yearned an awful lot for knowledge… At least, that’s what she’s been saying about her time as a Niffin. Quentin quickly abandoned this train of thought, sharing an amused look with Penny as they raised their eyebrows in a way that said, _'oh, really now?'_

Alice was right though, they really both knew that Alice and Julia were badass bitches who could handle their own shit. They heard a muffled, "just a minute!" before there was the sound of clothing rustling, and the door opened barely a moment later. When the door opened, Kady was there, in a long button-up shirt, and what Q hoped was a pair of underwear, though the shirt hung low enough that he couldn’t quite see.

Kady saw Alice first, then Julia. "Uh, ladies what can I do for---woah. What the FUCK!" She said as she saw Quentin, immediately turning to put the rest of her clothes on. "No one told me the band was getting back together!"

Quentin raised an eyebrow and said, "You’re a one woman band on your own, Kady. Also, this? It’s a new development," he deadpanned. He hadn’t expected Kady to be a part of the bisexual club, but at least he wasn’t the only one.

Alice shared a look with Julia, and then the two girls slipped into the office. Julia then said, "One sec boys, we'll fill her in and uh, when she's decent we'll get back to ya." And just like that, the door was closed in Penny and Quentin's faces.

"Rude," Quentin said, not even trying to hide the laughter bubbling up inside of him.

Kady was buttoning up her blouse as she asked Julia and Alice to give her the abridged version of events, mostly pertaining to Q's presence.

"OLU apparently owed me a favor, and called Quentin 'the next best thing' or something – I’m paraphrasing, and uh… She and Hades pulled a few strings, and sent him back here with God powers? Or… something," Julia began.

"And now we’ve heard from Penny that Eliot and Margo need help in Fillory about this Dark Prince guy, and, well... you're the battle magician, so..." Alice continued, hoping a little ego boost would sway Kady.

"Oh, so you need me to kick ass? I mean... as much as I dislike the idea of leaving Zelda in charge while we're gone, it does make sense," Kady said as she straightened her clothes the rest of the way, and before she could acknowledge the disheveled girl who represented the underworld branch. She winked as the girl blushed and moved to dress as well. "I uh, I'll come back another time," the girl answered shyly.

"I'll call you," Kady said before she blew her a kiss. The girl promptly traveled away, and Kady turned back to face Julia and Alice. "What? Gotta pass the time somehow!"

"Oh we know, honey. We know. Let's get the boys and go to Fillory," Julia answered, linking her arm around Kady's, never one to judge. Alice kept her thoughts to herself, as she did. She opened the door and said to Penny and Quentin, "Alright. We're off to Fillory!"


	3. Reunions and Dark Tidings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quentin and Co make it to Fillory, yet nothing is quite what they expected when they arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's finally some Queliot in this chapter! Plus a prelude to a surprising confrontation in chapter 4.

Once they all got to Fillory, a wave of nervousness washed over every single one of them. None of them were sure if it was the air, or if it could stem from Quentin's nerves unknowingly projecting to his companions. What was certain, though, is that as excited as he was to see his beloved Eliot again, he had to admit, he was fucking terrified of Eliot's reaction.

Quentin looked around. Things seemed... off.

"Does anyone else feel like we're being watched? Or like something could attack us any minute like some predator film?" Julia asked, looking around cautiously.

"Uhh, yeah, it does seem weird, and I brought us back to where the crew _just_ was... where are they?" Penny wondered out loud.

Alice was having a hard time breathing. "I have a really bad feeling about this, guys," she stated, feeling overcome with worry, "I think we should split up and look for them."

"Sounds fair, the boys go one way, we the other?" Kady suggested.

"Uh, isn't splitting up the worst option? I mean, I've seen some horror films-" Quentin commented quietly, before Penny shook his head and interrupted Quentin. "If shit gets bad, I'll jump us out of here, we're fine. Just... be careful ladies, and telepathically shout if you need me, I'll hear you."

They then set about splitting up, while Quentin began doing everything he could to keep his mind quiet, not wanting to mess with Penny's focus.

"Hey Q, where's your sixth sense telling you to go? It'd come in real handy right about now," Penny asked.

"I don't know yet, give me a moment to focus on Eliot, and then it'll tell me, I think." Quentin answered automatically.

Quentin closed his eyes, and focused on breathing deep. He focused on Eliot, on the feeling of being with him, on soft grass and mosaics. "Come on Eliot... I’m here, just let me know where and how to find you," he muttered. It was at that moment that he got a clear image in his head. His eyes shot open.

"This way," Quentin declared, pointing straight ahead. Penny followed Quentin, looking around and suddenly feeling grateful that Quentin was a bit different now. Maybe they'd find them before something shitty happened.

Kady, Alice and Julia had gone perhaps half a mile in the opposite direction, when they heard a familiar scream.

"Shit! Margo? Hang on!" Kady called out, hoping beyond hope to be heard. The three women started to run in the direction of the scream they heard.

When they found Margo, she had both Sorrows in hand, with a few mangled bodies around her. When she noticed the three ladies, she relaxed a little. "Shit, how did you guys get here? Did Penny bring you? Looks like this Dark King has a plan for people that's a bit uh... zombie-ish," she said as she wrinkled her nose, kicking one of the corpses.

"Shit... necromancy? I only heard about it in passing as a Niffin, that requires a lot of juice," Alice commented quietly, haunted by the chilling sight.

"Hey- uh- Margo; there's been a development. Where's Eliot?" Julia asked with concern.

"I don't know, we got separated. We need to find him and fast before these zombie fuckers get their filthy dead hands on him," Margo explained with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's find the guys," Kady said casually, totally forgetting to mention that Quentin was one of those guys, and then she sent a telepathic message to Penny, short and sweet. _'Found Margo. She and Eliot separated. Where you at? We'll meet you'_

_‘Go west from your location. I'm following Q-Brand GPS, which is uhh… interesting,’_ Penny answered.

At one point, Quentin and Penny were forced to stop, a large chasm having split in the ground. "Any ideas?" Penny asked. Quentin frowned, and then put out his hand. He didn’t quite know what he was doing, but he ran on instinct, making some slow finger motions as the chasm slowly began to fill, the ground pulling itself back together. "Let's hope Eliot is on the other side, otherwise my GPS is failing," Quentin admitted in a deadpan tone.

Once the chasm was filled, Quentin set off once again on his path to find Eliot, Penny following as quickly as he could because once Quentin was on a mission, it was nigh impossible to keep up with him.

They'd covered quite a distance when they heard banging on a door. Quentin knew the voice that was calling for help, and tried to open the door.

"Locked," Quentin said, and made to battle magic blast the door of its hinges.

"Eliot, stand back!" Penny called right as Quentin was casting, and then-

**_BOOM!_ **

Eliot shielded himself as the door flew off in his direction, and Penny was the first to storm in and pull him up to his feet.

"Penny, thank God it's you! Everything went to shit as soon as you left and-" Eliot froze when he saw him. "Holy shit..."

"What the fuck?" came Margo's voice once the ladies had met up with the gents. Quentin knew that both comments were aimed at him, and he blushed even harder than he had done when he found Julia.

Quentin smiled despite his pink cheeks. "Um... so, hi… I'm alive again!" he then did the only thing he could think of at the moment, and that was jazz hands. He laughed nervously because _‘why Quentin, why the jazz hands?’_ he thought beratingly to himself.

"Well... I mean, the dork part tracks," Margo muttered, before she shook her head a little.

Everything then kind of blurred together, with Quentin and Eliot colliding in an intense hug, with Quentin practically clinging on to Eliot for dear life. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you woke up," he whispered, knowing how hard it had to have been for Eliot to wake up after being possessed, only to find that Quentin - his beloved Q - was dead.

"Oh honey... I've missed you so much, Q, you have no idea," Eliot whispered back, holding Quentin as tightly as he could without suffocating him. To think, just a short while before, he had considered death by zombie to be an option, a way to find Quentin in the underworld.

"I've missed you too, so fucking much, I couldn't just leave you here alone," Quentin confessed with alarming ease.

Julia tapped Margo on the shoulder and whispered in her ear, "um... Do we have time to give them a minute? Or is this a ' _Zombies might kill us all so we should get moving’_ sort of moment?" Margo replied with a non-verbal communication that implied that these two lovebirds should have a moment.

Quentin gripped the back of Eliot's head, tangling his fingers in the curly hair as he pressed their foreheads together. "You're never gonna be alone again, Eliot. Peaches and plums, right? You're stuck with me from now on," he grinned a little, nuzzling Eliot and just clinging to him.

The entire group gasped as Quentin's power just kind of overflowed, bringing life back to the dead, decaying ground. Flowers began to sprout, and the ground turned from a grayish brown, to a lush green around them.

"I'd love nothing more than to be stuck with you, Q. I was a coward; it was my life's biggest regret turning you down. Please... please, let me love you," Eliot said, pulling Quentin in for a kiss before he could say no. Quentin kissed back with such eagerness that the sheer magnitude of the love he was feeling radiated across this part of the castle, restoring it to its former glory and then some.

Julia watched the scene with awe, tears in her eyes from how beautiful it was. "I mean... if that doesn't make you believe in love, what else could, right?" She said aloud.

Even Margo couldn't help but smile "Well I’ll be damned. They finally got their heads out of their asses and did what we've been hoping for."

Penny fidgeted awkwardly and said, "Uh, I feel like we're intruding by watching, does it always feel this awkward?"

Quentin didn't care that they had an audience; he had needed this for a while, and suddenly everything that led up to this moment just seemed... worth it? All that mattered to Eliot and Quentin in that moment was just basking in each other's company. It had been so long since they last saw each other, they weren't about to take this for granted anymore.


	4. Beautiful Symmetry (Some Things Never Change)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quentin and Co discover the identity of the Dark King, and make an interesting bargain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can almost guarantee that the Dark King isn't who you expect, but I am quite curious as to what you guys think of this. There are some interesting developments in the next chapter, and then we're on to some SUPER FLUFF. So stay tuned.

"Come on sweetheart, let's go. We have a Dark King to fuck up," Quentin said, still blissed out from their kisses and glowing with love for Eliot. He felt like a champion, unstoppable, but also in a place of confidence that he had never felt before. He was more secure in his and Eliot’s love than he ever had been previously.

"Lead the way, darling," Eliot said softly, following behind Quentin, not once letting go of his hand, so their fingers remained entwined.

Margo leaned over to Julia. "Ten bucks says that once we kick some ass, they're gonna bang... possibly wherever they stop to smell the roses next," she said as she grinned, before noticing Alice. "Uh, sorry."

Alice shrugged. "It’s the simple honest truth, can't be mad about that. It’s just good to see them happy," she admitted quietly. She hadn’t told anyone that she and Quentin had agreed to just be friends; she was interested in someone else anyway, though the object of her affections hadn’t seemed to notice yet.

"Do we even know who this Dark King is?" Julia asked, frowning a little as Penny shook his head.

"Whoever he is, we'll fuck him up," Kady grinned, cracking her knuckles.

"Damn right we will. We got this, guys. But wait- what happened to Fen and Josh then?" Quentin asked, just remembering something Penny may have said in passing, or perhaps he dreamt it. Either way, he could feel the absence of their presence.

"We're not sure, everyone says it has been 300 years since Fen and Josh, but we were just here? So like, what is this inconsistent magical time zone bullshit?" Margo muttered with a shrug.

Julia thought for a moment. "I wonder if Jane's time bubble thing is still here. Maybe once we liberate everyone we can see if she knows what happened?"

Quentin frowned. "I don't like the idea of someone just usurping the throne from them," he admitted.

"Perhaps it's 300 Fillorian years, we all know that in Fillory time passes faster than on Earth. So... they could still be alive?" Eliot said, trying to logic with everyone and also realizing this was a bit of a stretch in reasoning.

Quentin nodded in agreement. "That does make me a little less worried… I just hope one of them didn't go all dark side or something; we've done enough of that between the group of us."

"I'll fuckin drink to that," Alice drawled.

"Hell, I think I’m the only one here that hasn't gone all evil. Well, and Penny, but I’m still waiting on us to bang," Margo muttered with a shrug.

"But aren't you with Josh?" Penny asked, confused and feeling unwilling to cheat on Julia even though they weren't officially A Thing.

"And L-positive, so maybe it's best we don't. It’s a shame, really..." Margo said, shamelessly looking Penny up and down.

"What's L-positive?" Julia asked, innocently curious.

"She has sexually transmitted lycanthropy," Alice cut in, going full Ex-Niffin knowledge nerd on everyone, forgetting that Quentin hadn't told anyone about the time when she (as a Niffin) was stuck in his body.

Quentin cringed slightly, feeling Margo's glare from behind him. "For the record I didn't say anything!" he clarified.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I just know the term from when I was a Niffin," Alice admitted, "sorry about the mix-up," she said with a blush of embarrassment. The only one in the group who knew this was a lie was Kady, but she didn’t say anything either.

"I didn't realize lycanthropy was passed that way, I mean... I assumed it was done by biting," Julia commented in surprise.

"Well knowing Margo, I’m sure there _was_ biting involved..." Penny deadpanned, though he grinned slightly.

"Yeah, and some scratching too - if you guys saw the marks I left on his back, you'd be shocked," Margo jested.

Kady snorted. "Somehow I’m not surprised. He probably wound up more mangled than you did, and he was the werewolf first!" she teased before laughing at her own joke.

Quentin shook his head, and then blushed as Eliot whispered in his ear that he would probably get that particular treatment himself once all things were taken care of. Quentin let his mind wander for just a moment…

"For fuck's sake, Quentin! Look man, I'm all about the whole love is love thing but Jesus Christ I did not need to see that!" Penny shouted suddenly, and Quentin got embarrassed at having realized his mental wards were still down.

"Sorry Penny, I'll work on it!" Quentin answered, his cheeks redder than a tomato, earning him a raised eyebrow from Eliot and a laugh from everyone else in the group.

The crew, whilst engaging in their casual banter, had eventually made their way to where the decay was the strongest. "So, this is the Dark King's domain. Kinda gross, not gonna lie. Though with the whole necromancy thing I kind of expect it at this point," Margo commented as they looked around for a way into the citadel.

"Q, can you make things a little lusher around here? It might get rid of some of the thorns," Penny commented.

"I... don't know how to do it consciously," Quentin admitted quietly, he still didn't have much control yet. He stiffened in surprise as Eliot kissed him again, but somehow the magic wasn't quite enough to undo the thorns. That is until Quentin suddenly got the idea to give Eliot a bit of a boost by placing a glowing hand on his chest, and their magic together began to open the way. The thorns and brambles slowly receded, leaving verdant flowers and beautiful foliage in its place.

The others all watched in awe, though Penny was once again a tad bit awkward, standing off to the side. Alice and Kady take point once the way is clear, though they all paused in horror as they realized that the Dark King was none other than... well, another Quentin. This Quentin had longer hair, and seemed a bit more apathetic. He wore a small, glowing bottle around his neck, and stood, watching them as they entered.

Quentin immediately steps forward, feeling alarmingly fearless. "Wait a minute. If I’m here, and you're here..."

"Come on, surely you've seen other timelines before?" His shadow-self answered with a salacious smirk, "I must say though, I always did wonder what divinity would look like on me."

Quentin-40 raised an eyebrow. "Huh… so- um, wait. What timeline are you actually from then? I'm honestly a little offended I went evil more than once."

Penny-23 in his infinite wisdom took that moment to chime in with, "Well, you are a white guy in a fantasy tale."

"Not helpful, Twenty-Three," Margo muttered, watching the other Quentin warily.

The shadow-Quentin counted for a moment. "Uhh, Timeline 30, I think," he answered in an almost bored tone, "Look, I don't feel like giving you my life story, so can I just kill you guys and be done?"

"Wow, and here I was, thinking _I_ was lazy and depressed," Quentin-40 answered with an exasperated sigh, crossing his arms, almost as a challenge to his shadow-self.

Quentin-30 shrugged. "At least without my shade I don't _really_ have to worry about that depression-y bit anymore. It’s liberating really. Anyhow, I'm just going to kill you guys now, so please hold still for me?"

Quentin-30 made a quick gesture, a wave of magic lashing out to take them all out at once... or so he thought.

Quentin-40's magic retaliated, a barrier forming to block the magic. "Ouch, fuck. I'm not an MMO protagonist, why is my first instinct to tank the hit?" Quentin-40 asked aloud.

"Well, you do have a habit of self-sacrificing, dear," Eliot pointed out, before he and the others began to lash out, starting to attack the shadow-Quentin, not knowing that due to quantum entanglement, or... some variety of horomancy or whatever, the two Quentins were connected.

After a few blasts, Eliot realized that it was hurting Quentin, and shifted to the front, gathering everyone's attention while he helped support his lover. "We have to stop, guys. When we hurt 30, we hurt our Q too," he pointed out.

The action was enough to stir something inside Quentin-30. "... I miss _my_ Eliot," he whispers, just low enough that Quentin-40 barely heard it. This gave Quentin-40 an idea; hopefully a bargaining chip of sorts.

"What if... what if I brought him back? Your Eliot, I mean. Would you want that?" Quentin asks between ragged, tired breaths.

"Of course I would… but firstly, who says you _can_ , and secondly... why _would_ you? What’s in it for you?"

Quentin-40 managed to stand upright, kissing Eliot's forehead in thanks, before he looked at Quentin-30. "Look… I know how much it hurts, losing Eliot. We can figure it out, and... I'll help you. We can even send you guys home when we're done. But… I have one condition."

The shadeless Quentin paused, rolling his tongue around in his mouth as he thought for a moment. "OK, I'll bite. What do you want in exchange?"

"Only that you help us figure out what happened to Fen and Josh," Quentin-40 responds, shrugging a little.

"That’s all? Ah, easy peasy. And you'll definitely send us home if I help you?"

Quentin-40 nodded in earnest, offering his hand to Quentin-30. "Just for the record, if you shake my hand and then try to stab me or something, I'll be really pissed," Quentin-40 pointed out, smiling a little as his counterpart laughed softly.

"That's not in either of us, not really. We don't ever go back on our word, even if we’re shadeless," Quentin-30 agreed.

"That's the damn truth, even when it fucks us over," Quentin-40 agreed, grinning and shaking Quentin-30's hand firmly.

Penny leaned over to Alice and muttered to her, "Uh, is it weird that Q just made friends with another Q?"

"Not really, I think we’d all do that to our other timeline versions. Who knows us like, well... us?" Alice pointed out.

Penny’s posture shifted as he thought for a moment “Penny-40 wasn’t too bad when I met him, so maybe you’re right.”

Margo snorted. "I dunno, the other me is probably a dick," she commented with a bored tone.

"Oh Bambi, _this_ version of you is sometimes a dick. We love you anyway," Eliot teased, kissing her cheek.

"You’d damn well better," Margo responded with that endearing tone she usually saved for Eliot.

Julia (who had been quiet prior) looked at the others, and asked out loud, "Do you guys think Q is like this in every timeline?"

"Evil? No way. In my timeline he literally became the Beast but otherwise, nah," Penny shrugged, completely missing the point as usual.

"No you idiot, I mean...he just kind of makes friends effortlessly? Even as awkward as he is?" Julia tried to explain. It had been that way since they were kids. Hell, he became friends with James even despite the fact that Quentin had once been interested in her. “Accidental Friendship” was kind of his thing.

"Well obviously, how do you think we all got banded together? It's all because of Q. Then he died, we all went our separate ways and of all the people to unite us again, it's him," Eliot chimed in, looking at his husband-boyfriend-whatever with nothing but a sincere adoration in his heart.

The two Quentins, meanwhile, were discussing how to go about completing both tasks at once and who to delegate which task to based on individual strengths. They decided that Eliot, Margo, and Penny would find Fen and Josh after Quentin-30 told them what happened and where they would be most likely to find them. The two Quentins were then left with Kady, Julia and Alice to figure out how to bring Eliot-30 back.

"So, what if we use horomancy?" Quentin-40 suggests. "I mean technically it wouldn't be necromancy because we're just plucking him from before he died. But wait... that might break time. Shit."

"Yeah, you're a minor mending discipline magician, not a ‘ _let’s fix time because I broke it_ ’ one," Alice pointed out. The group fell silent for a moment in contemplation, and then Julia had the proverbial lightbulb turn itself on above her head.

"Hey Alice, remember when I tried to transfer my powers to you? You tried bone knitting for Penny-40, right? We could go about it that way," Julia suggested.

"That's not a bad idea; we'd need a few things, but if I’m right we've got them here somewhere,” Quentin-30 said in corroboration.

Quentin-40 cracked his knuckles and said, "Right, so… What do we need? I mean, I might as well test how far down the rabbit hole this god-powers thing goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and let me know who you think the object of Alice's affections is. I'm curious as to your thoughts :)


	5. A Brief Interlude - Putting the Pieces Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter Involves the group getting the pieces together to help Quentin-30.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There isn't much plot development per se, but I didn't want the chapters to be too girthy, so please bear with me.
> 
> There's also a bit more bonding between Q-40 and Q-30

"OK Alice, I've inhabited the castle for quite some time so I’m sure I'll know where everything is, how about we go look together?" Quentin-30 suggested, since he found himself wanting to help these people.

"Uh..." Julia glanced at Quentin-30 cautiously before Quentin-40 chimes in.

"Relax, Jules. We shook on it, and frankly if he screws us over, I'll just make sure his Eliot never sees the light of day," Quentin-40 bluntly stated with an alarming cheer to his voice.

"Were you always this vindictive, Q?" Kady asked, a little surprised.

"You'll be amazed what a depressive spiral can do to you because the love of your life is being worn like a meat suit by the childlike God-Monster he set free just so you don't have to spend the rest of your life guarding said God-Monster in Castle Blackspire," Quentin-40 explained with a bluntness he hadn't exhibited since he first found out he was a Magician in the first place. Julia and Kady both let out a sharp breath that said ‘holy shit, dude’, but it was partly in surprise at how easily he came out with it and partly shock that that’s what he had to endure. Alone. Right before he died.

"Ooohhh, ouch man. That's rough," Quentin-30 said, giving his divine counterpart a consoling pat on the shoulder. Quentin-40 smiled at him in thanks.

"Ok, enough bonding over mutual misfortune, we've got work to do," Alice remarked with a tone of authority in her voice, practically dragging Quentin-30 off this time.

Quentin-40 looked at Julia and just shrugged again. "I mean... misery loves company sometimes…"

"You're not wrong. So you said bone knitting, right? Does that mean we need to go to the Underworld for Eliot-30's soul or something?" Kady asked.

"Well the only one who really knows how bone knitting works has gone off with Dark King Quentin to search for ingredients so... seems like we have some research to do I guess," Julia remarked.

Quentin-40 tilted his head a little. "I wish Eliot was here, he'd know where all the books on magic are kept here- well... actually no, it’s been 300 years here since any of us were monarchs, so… we should probably start looking around, I guess?"

"Too bad there are no guards left to ask," Kady commented.

"But then shouldn't at least one person stay here so Q-30 doesn't assume we've betrayed him or something?" Julia said, worried.

"Well, this is me we're talking about, only shadeless and not the Beast, so don't put it past him to get that thought into his head. I'll stay while I figure things out further," Quentin-40 offered.

Kady nodded a little. "He makes a good point, so… shall we start taking some inventory of the place?" She looked at Julia, offering to let her lead.

Quentin-40 decided to try meditating on things, since he remembered Julia mentioning during her initial goddess-hood that it helped sometimes.

Before the ladies left, Julia placed both hands on Quentin-40's shoulders and said softly in his ear, "Clear your mind, Q. You're likely to hear voices in your head. That's nothing to worry about, those are people's prayers."

She placed a gentle kiss on his head, and then took Kady's hand so they could take inventory of the castle.

Sadly, Quentin hears more prayers than he expects. Though he isn't surprised, since the whole Dark King thing is going on. He tries to focus harder though, wanting to figure out _something_ that will help. He trusts Julia's methods, and just focuses on his breathing, and being receptive.

Meanwhile, Quentin-30 and Alice have collected all the ingredients they need for the bone knitting, so she asks him, "I don't mean to pry, but... how did your Eliot die?"

He pauses, and after a moment of silence he says, "Rhinemann Ultra. He thought he was being brave, and instead he just... left me alone. He told me before it happened, that I made him braver," Quentin-30 shook his head to clear it, "Though if I’m honest, we were the last two left, so maybe... maybe it was his way of trying to get away from me. Or trying to follow Margo or something," he shrugged, looking down at his feet for a moment. "I just hope he doesn't hate me when he finds out what I did here... or when we bring him back."

"Between you and me, Q... when my Q brought me back to humanity from being a Niffin, I was _incredibly_ pissed at him. I had all the knowledge I could ask for and... I felt it fade away the longer I had my shade back. But ultimately, I've come to be thankful that he did it. So yeah, maybe at first, he might hold some resentment. But he'll come to understand why you did it. Also, that might just be your depression talking. If he died casting the Rhinemann Ultra, he might have done it to make sure you survived. The same way my Q died to save all of us from Everett," Alice offered as consolation and unsolicited advice, which Quentin-30 nonetheless appreciated.

"I hope you're right. Though, you've always been the smartest, most practical of us, so... you probably are," Quentin-30 smiled slightly. Alice smiled back, amazed that despite missing his shade, this Quentin was still not too far off from the Quentin she knew and came to love. She cleared her throat, as though to snuff out this bizarre moment between them and get back on topic.

"Ok, so... I think we have everything here, should we make our way back to the Throne room?"

"Yeah, let's go," Quentin-30 agreed, fidgeting with the pendant around his neck as they made their way back.

Quentin-40 had made a breakthrough, and was working on drawing out the ritual circle properly; it was mostly a backup plan, but it would also make sure that Eliot-30's shade wouldn't escape before they were done. When the other Quentin and Alice returned, he looked up. "Oh, hey. Looks like you guys made some progress."

"Where are Julia and Kady?" Alice asked, looking around.

Quentin-40 was just about finishing the ritual circle when he answered, "Taking inventory, they'll be back soon. Shall we get everything ready?"

"Sounds good to me," Quentin-30 answered, the two Quentins helping Alice get everything settled, and it turned out that right as they finished up, Kady and Julia returned with a few useful items of their own.

"Looks like we're right on time," Julia commented with a smile, helping Alice with the last few bits of preparation for the spell.

"OK, so… When Julia tried to transfer all of her Goddess powers to me, I couldn't handle it in its entirety, but maybe Q40 can give me enough extra juice to pull this off? I know the spell from memory, maybe it's best I cast it," Alice explained.

"I can do that, sure, no problem," Quentin-40 said, and gave her the same boost he'd given Eliot earlier, with a kiss on the forehead this time. "I assume this isn't a cooperative magic situation, so you just let us know if you need a hand," he commented once he had given Alice the boost she needed. They all stood at different points of the circle as Alice began casting, carefully pulling everything off in her usual way, while the others stood by as support in case anything went awry.


	6. Resurrection and a Way Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Problem is resolved, and new beginnings are forged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of major plot development before the smut and fluff takes over. Let me know what you guys think! :)

If anybody knows Quentin Coldwater's nervous tics, it's Quentin Coldwater himself. So Quentin-40 was quick to observe that Quentin-30 was still fidgeting with the pendant around his neck. It looked like an emotion bottle, only it was glowing gold.

"What's in the bottle?" Quentin-40 asked, pulling his Dark King counterpart out of his trance.

"Hmm? Oh, this? It's uh... it's my shade. I kept it in here so it wouldn’t plague me every second of every minute of every hour of every day. And yet, having it close by me makes sure I still feel something, I guess, " Quentin-30 asked, still feeling a little distracted.

"You kept it in such a tiny bottle? Shades, when they're in the Underworld, take on the form of our twelve-year-old selves. That can't be comfortable. How long have you kept yourself in there?"

"Longer than I like to admit," Quentin-30 confessed. He hadn’t been able to cope with the loss of losing Eliot, so rather than kill himself… he chose this option.

"Well, if that works the same way as emotion magic, it's... it's not gonna be pretty, if you put your shade back. It'll- It'll hurt like hell," Quentin-40 said, assuming the other him didn't know that already.

"Yeah, I know... if this works, I was thinking of reuniting myself with it, because I need my Eliot to know how I've mourned him.”

"Yeah… as my Eliot mourned me. Wow, that's a fucked up parallel," Quentin-40 mused, giving Quentin-30 a chuckle. Kady couldn’t help but to overhear.

"This is a bizarre conversation that I don't think I ever expected to be a part of but uhh, ya probably should have reunited yourself with it earlier, I think," Kady asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Or maybe not, it might have caused him to lash out. Having his Eliot here will help... maybe," Julia said by way of trying to make sense of Quentin-30’s actions.

"Shh, I’m concentrating," Alice muttered, still casting, earning her a slightly snarky ‘sorry’ from Kady and Julia.

Quentin-40 muttered to himself, "How to Befriend the Big Bad of Fillory: A Thesis by Quentin Coldwater."

"I mean, I technically did that first. Sort of," Julia teased Quentin a little, "though Martin did wind up being a major ass. So..." She shrugged, "You might actually have me beat on that one."

"To be fair, I didn't suffer quite the same horrors Martin did, so. Don't beat yourself up," Quentin-30 countered in her defense.

"Oh yeah, there's definitely a special place in hell for Plover, I made sure of that," Alice commented once she finished off the spell, Eliot-30 now lying in the circle.

"So… what happens now?" Kady asked.

"We wait," Quentin-40 answered, watching curiously.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Penny, Eliot and Margo had finally found who they were looking for, and Margo wasted no time in rushing towards Josh.

"Oh my god, Josh! I thought you were dead!" Margo said, wrapping her lover boy in the tightest hug she could muster. Eliot in turn was happy to see his wife safe and sound, and he hugged her too.

"What happened to you both? How are you alive?" Eliot asked, feeling somewhat shell-shocked.

"I know how they're alive, look at the runes Q-30 carved into their foreheads. Age suspension spells," Penny explained, barely sparing a closer look because he knew those sigils from when they’d rescued Plover.

"Wait- That's not our Q? Our Q is still... gone?" Josh asked, pulling away from Margo but never letting go.

"No baby, our Q is back, bigger and better than ever. He's teaming up with Other Q on a thing," Margo said without bothering to sugarcoat it.

"Teaming up with Other-Q? Fucking- why?" Josh asked, "He carved a **thing**! On _my_ face! This is a nice face!" Josh’s pout was adorable, but also kind of beside the point.

"You're still alive because of that thing on your face," Fen pointed out, looking to Margo as if to say _‘pfft, Men.’_

Eliot recognized the look Fen was giving Margo and lifted a finger as if to say _'uh excuse me...'_ but Margo cut in with, "she specifically means straight men, El. You're safe."

"I'd better be," Eliot threatened in jest.

Josh huffed a little, and said, "Can we get out of here now, please? I'm kinda tired of being in the dungeon all the time," he pointed out, smiling as he offered Margo his arm, "High King?" he teased.

"Technically that's still me," Fen pointed out, never a hint of unkindness in her voice.

"Psst, he probably calls her that when they..." Eliot stage-whispered to his wife, then did the typical hand signal for sex, keeping one hand with two fingers making a circle while his other ‘penetrated’ said circle.

Penny spoke up this time. "OK, I can Travel us all to where they are, but first we need one of them to tell us. Give me a sec," he made to sit cross-legged on the floor to meditate.

_'Julia? Can you hear me?'_

_'Yeah I can hear you. Have you found Fen and Josh?'_

_'Yeah we got ‘em. Where you guys at?'_

_'Throne room, Alice just completed a bone knitting spell for Q-30, you coming here?'_

_'Yeah, we're on our way.'_ Penny then disconnected from Julia and said out loud, "Throne room. Let's go," upon which he offered out his hands for Eliot and Margo to take, who were holding onto Josh and Fen respectively.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"OK, Penny and the others are coming. How much longer?" Julia asked, and the moment she did, she saw Eliot-30's eyes open, with a gasp for air. Quentin-30 then opened the little vial that he'd carried around his neck and ingested the contents. He soon collapsed to the floor, overcome with emotion; regret, grief, just… everything he hadn’t allowed himself to feel for so long, and Quentin-40 was right, it fucking hurt like hell.

Quentin-40 gave Quentin-30 a moment to recuperate, while he checked over Eliot-30 and made sure nothing was amiss. He saw the way Eliot-30 was looking at him and felt he had to clarify. "Hey, uh... I’m not your Q, that one is," he pointed, before he smiled kindly, "But just uh, take it easy alright? The whole being alive again thing takes some getting used to for a little while."

Eliot-30 nodded, his throat dry until Kady was kind enough to give him a little bit of water from a flask that Julia had brought with them.

It wasn't that much longer before Penny and the others appeared in the room, all of them just cautiously watching Quentin-30 and Eliot-30.

Quentin-40 stood back and couldn't help but look at his Eliot; this whole thing hit pretty close to home, if he was honest. He continues to slowly step backwards until he reached his Eliot, taking his hand.

It was a beautiful thing to see play out, they all had to admit. Once Quentin-30 had gotten a hold on himself, he approached Eliot-30 who only had eyes for _his Q_ , and Quentin-40 just knew, he could feel it in his heart, that there was not a single shred of resentment in Eliot-30's soul for Quentin-30; having done what he did to get him back and the first thing to come out of Eliot-30's mouth was, "Q... My sweet, brave, beautiful Q... you saved me..."

Quentin-30 broke down in tears and held onto his Eliot, burying his face in his Eliot's neck. "I missed you so much, El, so fucking much-"

Eliot-30 held Quentin-30 like he never wanted to let go again, and said comfortingly, "I know baby, I missed you too. I'm so sorry I left you like that, I just needed at least one of us to live-"

The whole scene ultimately played out a lot like the Queliot-40 reunion, and Penny had to make a snarky comment along the lines of, "Romantic saps in every timeline, I swear to God..."

Quentin-40 watched for a moment before he just couldn't help himself. He moved to wrap _his_ Eliot in his arms, just needing to hold onto him for a moment.

"Do you think they're like this in most timelines? The one where Q became the Beast notwithstanding," Julia whispered to Margo, who merely shrugged.

"As long as our boys are happy, I don't really give a shit," she said in earnest.

"Maybe if they'd found love in each other in my timeline, Q may never have become the Beast to begin with," Penny commented in answer to Julia's question, "Eliot and Margo from my timeline killed themselves practicing the Rhinemann Ultra to defeat Chatwin. It was... a fucking mess."

"Jesus Christ..." both Queliot pairs sighed out in unison upon hearing this. Quentin-30 looked at his Eliot, gave him one more kiss on the lips, and then stood up to offer him a hand. Together they approached Quentin and Eliot-40.

Quentin-40 turned, smiling a little to himself as he felt his Eliot adjust by wrapping his arms around him from behind. "Ready to go home?" he asked them with a smile.

"...Yeah, there's probably a lot to do there but..." Quentin-30 looked to his Eliot, "We'll be doing it together, so I’m ready."

"Just... be good to each other, we don't often get second chances like this," Quentin-40 pointed out, before he smiled again, and his hands began to glow, magic building a portal for the other Quentin and Eliot to slip through.

Quentin-30 pulled Quentin-40 into a one-armed hug, never letting go of his Eliot's hand, whispering, "Thank you."

Quentin-40 returned the gesture and said, "Likewise," and upon pulling away he said, "Enjoy this, both of you."

And so, the Quentin and Eliot from Timeline 30 stepped through the portal back to their own timeline, and that was that.


	7. The Start of Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Dark King out of the way, the crew begins to pick up the pieces, while Eliot and Quentin get re-acquainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Smut-Fest begins! Also there is lots of fluff, and a surprising (or not so surprising) proposal.

An awkward silence followed, presumably because the entire gang took a moment to truly process what the fuck had just happened. Josh was the first to speak up. "Well... now what?"

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but we need to fix Fillory post-Dark King, plus I need at least one day or night, possibly both, with my, uh..." Quentin looked at Eliot and tilted his head, much like a confused bird.

"I think the word you're looking for is boyfriend," Julia stage whispered, giggling a little while Quentin flushed, slightly embarrassed that he hadn’t come up with the word himself..

"We should probably help Fen and Josh with the whole anti-aging brand on their faces too," Penny pointed out.

"Easy-peasy, I should be able to remove that in no time- but then won't your years catch up with you or something?" Quentin wondered out loud.

"That is probably something we should look into before you try to remove it," Alice commented quickly, suddenly realizing that Quentin had a point there.

"How are we going to help the people of Fillory, it is 300 years in the future, will they accept us as rulers again?" Margo wondered aloud.

Fen hummed for a moment. "I mean, if we overturn the Dark King's policies… I don't see why not?"

"Aaaand I guess this where I come in handy, right? I can pose as the Dark King and go about it that way, perhaps? I mean... he was me, technically..." Quentin suggested.

"Q… honey… Please. You're about as threatening as a puppy," Margo deadpanned, "but... with the right coaching, I suppose..."

"I think we can pull it off if we work together," Josh pointed out.

Quentin looked to Eliot. "Think I can do it, babe?" he asked, knowing Eliot would be able to help in some regards.

"You have god powers, Q. You could totally fuck a bitch up if they cross you. I have faith in you," Eliot said, giving his divine boyfriend that little pep talk only he knew how to give, and he pressed a kiss to Quentin's lips.

Quentin kissed Eliot back, practically melting into it. There was swelling warmth in his chest, not just from Eliot's pep talk but also just from Eliot being there, close to him again. "Mm, best boyfriend ever," He grinned, nuzzling Eliot lightly.

Alice wasn't sold on whether or not Quentin could actually pull it off, but she figured between all of them, they'd manage. It wasn't necessarily that Quentin couldn't fuck shit up, it was more that he was just so... nice, and good, and true, and kind. This version of Quentin didn't have the dark side, not really.

What certainly didn't help was the fact that every time he kissed Eliot, he was making flowers bloom everywhere. People would notice that something is different.

"I would ask if the flower thing is going to be an ‘all-the-time’ situation, or if they'll get it out of their system, but they're just so damn cute _I want to punch a kitten to balance the scales_!" Margo huffed, not used to such sweetness. She was happy for them though.

"Well, hopefully he'll get a handle on it once he's used to the magic? I mean, for a while when I was a goddess, stuff just kind of happened," Julia admitted.

"Yeah, let's not forget he's literally been back on this plane, like, a day. We gotta give him room to breathe," Penny stated in Q's defense.

"That is true. Maybe we should do as much as we can before we ask Q and El to pitch in?" Alice suggested.

Julia nodded "Well, Q mentioned something earlier about me still having a choice to be a goddess, so if I can figure that out, I'll be able to help the recovery effort more." She then cut her eyes toward Penny 23 again, mentally making a note to keep him away from that particular quest.

Margo clapped her hands. "Okay, let's give the boys a bit of time here, and at least do something about this god awful dreary decor. Really I should have kicked Q-30's ass for fucking up my castle."

"You could have kicked my ass and it would have had the same effect, Margo. When you were all firing off battle magic at him, it was hitting me too and I wish I knew why... so... just putting that out there," Quentin mentioned like it was no big thing as he continued to be all lovey-dovey with Eliot.

"Gods are hard to kill; maybe that's why we couldn't quite kill him?" Julia mused.

"Yeah, in hindsight let's be glad we didn't," Eliot almost snapped, feeling extra protective of Quentin now.

Quentin couldn't help but smile at that, kissing Eliot's cheek gently. "S'ok, you're stuck with me, remember?" He teased playfully.

"We _should_ probably figure out why though, hopefully you aren't connected to other Quentins," Alice pointed out.

"Look guys- one thing at a time, ok? As far as I know, I'm the only other one to have met my own timeline counterpart and even then he warned me about the Quickening - thank you Josh-23 - but that said... I still have no idea how that worked unless Q-30 had a booster too?" Josh reasoned.

"That does sound like it could be a thing," Fen agreed with Josh, "and... yeah, one thing at a time. A lot has happened since you guys were gone," she admitted. Three hundred years was a very long time.

They all began preparations and Alice was literally writing down a List of Things to Figure Out and Solve, but soon Quentin and Eliot were sent off to the master bedroom so they could... reunite. Properly. Biblically.

Quentin and Eliot finally found themselves alone together, for the first time perhaps since they got their Mosaic memories back. They had so much to talk about, but Quentin had a feeling he already knew what Eliot was going to say; there was nervousness about him, wrapped in a thick warm blanket of sheer love. That told Quentin enough about Eliot's stance on the situation, but he felt like it were only fair to tell Eliot in words where he stood.

Quentin was nervous as well, but then again that was his natural state. He gave Eliot a moment to get settled, since they were alone in one of the (newly restored thanks to Quentin's magic) bedrooms. He then made his way over and just laid next to Eliot. "I... think we should talk about things," he looked at Eliot lovingly. "I know that this is a lot, but I think it is good for us to reconnect, and… figure things out," he added, giving Eliot a moment, and once he nodded in understanding, he continued.

"First off, I love you." He admitted it, ripped the band-aid right off, and just leaned into the idea that being honest with Eliot was better than the alternative. "I know that you thought that if I had a choice I'd choose a woman, or anyone else over you, but that's not true," he laced their fingers together, kissing the top of Eliot's hand. "Those years with the mosaic were the best of my life, aside from all the other years we've known each other," he smiled sheepishly, "and they were better because anytime I felt anxious or depressed, you were there. Always. When I died... all I could think about was you. I wanted more time with you. I need that, and I think that I could spend the rest of my life with you... if you want."

Eliot let out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding, and a strong wave of relief washed over him. "Q, oh god Q, I should never have turned you down. I was an idiot, and a coward, and I regretted the words as soon as I'd spoken them. I was- I was terrified. Not of the thought of being with you, because you make me a better me than I've ever been, but... it's the idea of fucking up what we have that had me so terrified. I never wanted to hurt you, but hurting you is exactly what I did in what I see now was a backwards attempt at sparing you. To break through to you, while I was possessed, I had to relive my most traumatic and repressed memory... and that memory was turning you down. I'm sorry. I love you so much, Q - I have since day one - and I want you, for as long as you'll have me," it all came flowing out before Eliot could stop himself, just like the tears flowing down his cheeks.

Quentin listened, a bit surprised at the torrent of emotion from Eliot. He moved closer to the man he loved, wiping his tears away, before he brushed a kiss against Eliot's lips. "I love you too," he promised with a smile, "more than anything. I do, very much, want us to spend the rest of our lives together. You make me a better me too, and I fucked up so many times the first time around, but I want to do things right this time," he pressed their foreheads together, shifting so Eliot could get as close to him as he wanted.

Eliot could do nothing except bask in the warm glow that was the mutual love and adoration between himself and Quentin. He took a long, deep breath as though he were inhaling the sweetest scent in the world, and then he exhaled in pure contentment.

"We got this, Q. I have faith in us. We already have proof of concept, don't we?" He said softly with a smile.

"Yeah we do. Peaches and plums, motherfucker," Quentin said with a smirk as he placed a gentle hand to Eliot's neck.

"Peaches and plums, motherfucker," Eliot echoed, allowing Quentin to pull him down into a soft, tender kiss.

Quentin realized once they got started, that he probably should have gotten into bed with fewer clothes on. "Mmm, I'll never get tired of kissing you, you're really good at it," he grinned teasingly, one of his hands moving down to the small of Eliot's back. "Did I ever get the chance to tell you how beautiful you are?" he asked Eliot fondly, nibbling on his bottom lip between kisses.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, Q," Eliot said, while Quentin had moved his lips down to Eliot's neck and started to bite down hard as he straddled him, making Eliot gasp at the sensation of being marked, at fucking last.

Quentin waited until he was sure that the mark he had made would stay for a little while, before he began to start undressing Eliot. "Normally there would be a bit more romance. Candles, dinner, but... I think we've both earned a night in bed, don't you?" he asked with a playful tone.

"After everything we’ve been through, fuck yes," Eliot answered enthusiastically, helping Quentin undress him, but forgetting he still had a pretty fresh wound that was nowhere near healed, and he hissed in pain when he made a sudden movement. Quentin was quick to notice this.

"Well, this won't do at all. Let me..." Quentin trailed off, as he hovered a glowing hand above Eliot's abdominal wound and healed it in its entirety. Eliot felt the lingering pain melt away and he felt whole again, or rather, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Oooohhh… thank you so much, Q. Now, off with these clothes," Eliot said, tugging at the hoodie Quentin was still wearing from before he died.

Quentin was grateful for the help with the hoodie, since dying had apparently caused the zipper to get stuck. Once they were both bare above the waist, Quentin started to get rid of his pants. Although he wasn't the most experienced at this, he and Eliot had done this before, so he knew what Eliot liked. "I think since this _is_ your old room when you were High King... you should choose what we do first," he teased Eliot. "Do I get to eat that delicious ass of yours? Or do you have something else in mind?"

Eliot kissed Quentin with a hunger he hadn't felt since their life at the Mosaic, moaning into Quentin's mouth, "you know I love it when you talk dirty to me. But- I wanna repay you for healing me, I wanna make you feel so good- tonight is all about you, Kitten," Eliot said softly and seductively, pulling Quentin flush against him and turning them both over so he was on top of Quentin.

It was the way Eliot spoke that had even more of those memories flooding back into Quentin’s mind, and with them a hunger, a desire for Eliot. "Mmm, I'll never pass up an opportunity like that," he teased. Once he was comfortable to a degree that would also suit whatever Eliot had planned, he pulled Eliot into another kiss, reveling in the feeling of their skin contact, the warmth and softness of Eliot was everything Quentin needed and desired.

Eliot used his telekinesis to pin Quentin's wrists above his head, that way Eliot could take complete control of the situation. He knew exactly what Quentin liked and how he liked it, and he was going to use this to his full advantage. He started by straddling Quentin and grinding against him while he left a trail of kisses all over his neck and chest, leaving little bite marks along the way.

"Ooohhh my... you are so fucking hot when you take charge, I don’t think I ever told you," Quentin admitted with a breathless moan. Every touch was a special sort of magic, something Quentin hadn't experienced before Eliot. "You're so damn perfect El, and since no one else tells you nearly enough, it'll be my job from now on," he grinned.

Eliot kissed Quentin again, moaning against his lips, having completely forgotten how much he loved being praised by Quentin, and said, "You know, I've never had a god at my mercy like this before..."

"Technically I'm not quite a god yet; I just have god powers, but I'll get there soon enough the way you're going," Quentin corrected him, grinding up while Eliot was grinding down on him for maximum friction.

Quentin usually preferred being able to touch Eliot, but there was something immensely sexy about being entirely at Eliot's mercy. "El, please..." He breathed, his breath hitching at how Eliot moved against him. "I'll be so good, it’s just... it’s been so long. I need you," He knew that Eliot would do right by him, but for once he was impatient, needy.

"God I love when you get needy, My Lord... I'm gonna worship you and I'm gonna take my sweet time doing it too," Eliot said softly, unable to help himself. The pet name was hot, especially in a disciple/god context.

"Mm, your lord? Well I do like the idea of you being my first worshiper, first and favorite of course," Quentin teased. Eliot would always be his favorite, his only true, beloved. "What exactly would I be the lord of though?" he asked conversationally. "That said… a god and a king, that's a power couple if ever I heard of one," he mused.

"Hmm... that's a good one. Our Lord of the D?" Eliot and Quentin both giggled at that, and Eliot then said, "Well, you're My Lord of the D anyway... But you were the one who always kept us united during whatever quest or mission we went on. I mean, you got us back together now, so... Our Lord of the Quest?"

"Ooooh, I like that! But uh, you said you were gonna worship me, sooooo..." Quentin said, nodding up to where his hands were telekinetically pinned down above his head.

"Oh yes of course, my sincerest apologies, Our Lord of the Quest," Eliot said, hand on his heart, and then he smirked and continued to plant soft kisses all over Quentin's body.

Quentin couldn't help but giggle at Eliot's theatrics. "I love you," he murmured, letting out soft moans and sighs of pleasure as Eliot kissed all over his body. "Ya know, technically, if the logic behind our first quest applies, I can supercharge your magic..." he teased, making a throwback to the ol’ "Ember Jizz" jar from their quest to stop Martin, “but I should stop talking and let you worship me," he added playfully.

"Yes, my Lord, you really, _really_ should," Eliot said, barely allowing his lips to separate from Quentin's skin. Quentin always knew he himself had a praise kink but being called 'my Lord' in the bedroom was next-level. It was sending even more feelings of pleasure coursing through his body and he never wanted it to stop.

Quentin found himself getting harder than he already was, just from the way Eliot was talking. "Mmm, El..." he whispered reverently as he watched Eliot work his way downward, kissing and lavishing attention all over his body. He was unable to look away, wanting to memorize this forever. They had been apart far too long, and just the experience of seeing Quentin-30 had shaken Quentin quite a bit. He didn't want to become like that. Didn't want to lose Eliot. Not again. He’d lost him too many times already.

He pushed those intrusive thoughts aside, focusing on the feeling of Eliot's lips, the warmth of his love, and everything that Quentin never thought he'd get to have, just a few short days ago.

Eliot was completely losing himself in the moment too; he was a broken man when he heard Quentin was gone. He felt like he'd never find true love again, but now his true love has returned, and he made a promise to himself that he would never take his presence for granted again. He poured his mind, body, heart and soul into making sure Quentin knew he was loved. He found his way towards Quentin's throbbing cock, and slowly, gently, undid the zipper on Quentin's jeans; because he wanted that divine cock in his mouth right now, and he'd be damned if he wasn’t going to get it.

"I'm still questioning why I didn't undress before we got into bed," Quentin admitted. He intended to lift his hips to help Eliot get his jeans off, but instead his lower half just kind of levitated a little. "Whoops. That's new," he admitted with a slight chuckle, blushing as he realized he still didn't _quite_ have control of his powers yet.

Eliot gave him a mischievous look, and said, "Oh, my Lord, the things we could do with that..."

Quentin grinned. "I mean, I did have to listen to Penny-40 talk about his and Kady's air-sex, so we could absolutely try that sometime," he agreed, wiggling his fingers since his hands were still bound.

"And we most definitely will, but for now," Eliot said, firmly pulling Quentin by the now-naked hips back to the bed, "we're sticking to Terra Firma, my Lord."

And Quentin swore he was about to come right there and then; he'd forgotten how much he adored being manhandled by Eliot.

Quentin's eyes were lust blown, watching Eliot with rapt fascination. "Fuck me I'm yours," he whispered, letting his more submissive side play. He had never felt comfortable with it around anyone else, not even Alice, but Eliot... Eliot never made him feel weak or inferior, and at the end of the day, he always made Quentin feel safe. "Just... please? Keep touching me?" he asked. When he was vulnerable like this, Eliot's touch always kept him grounded.

"As you wish, my Lord," Eliot said and complied. He allowed his hands to travel down Quentin's torso, gently caressing the soft skin along the way, until he finally got his mouth on Quentin's divine dick and began to suck with a tenderness that drove Quentin insane.

Quentin's toes curled, his voice breaking slightly when he moaned Eliot's name. "Fuck, your mouth is incredible El, I should make monuments to that alone," he groaned, trying not to thrust into Eliot's mouth when technically Eliot was calling the shots here.

Eliot was really holding Quentin's hips down now, because he could feel that Quentin felt the urge to thrust and that just would not do. The pleasure coursing through Quentin's entire body felt like electricity, far more intense than anything he'd felt before, and he was torn between not wanting it to stop and it feeling like it was about to become too much, and he'd barely managed to warn Eliot that he was close when he came in his mouth. Eliot swallowed it all like a good little worshipper, and when he looked up at Quentin, his eyes glowed green.

The image of it was easily hotter than Quentin expected it to be. "El... your eyes," he squirmed a little, wishing he could reach out and touch Eliot. Kiss him, return the favor, something. "You're so perfect El... The most beautiful, wonderful man I’ve ever known," he admitted quietly. "Please, kiss me?"

Eliot silently obeyed, crawling his way forward to meet Quentin's lips with his, and they both moaned into the kiss, as it gradually went from lazy to hungry to desperate, their bodies moving together in harmony.

Quentin was desperate, fevered with his desire for Eliot. It was like the floodgates had been opened, and there was no real way of stopping it. His entire focus was on Eliot, on giving Eliot the world if he wanted it. "Mmm, love you," he whispered to Eliot as he kissed him again, squirming pleasantly at the touches. "Please- Can I- Can I touch you? Or do you still want me to wait?" he asked with a soft, adoring smile.

"Just a little while longer, my love, my Lord," Eliot said as he teased a finger into Quentin, making him squirm like never before.

Quentin was always amazed at the fact that Eliot always knew how to touch him. Eliot's hands were gorgeous, and he could watch him do things with his hands all day. He mewled and tried to relax when Eliot teased another finger inside him, before his magic seemed to instinctively work, and his hole began to get slick with a lube-esque substance. "...that's new too," Quentin muttered, a bit surprised by it.

"That _is_ new, and it's definitely a thing we can use to our advantage," Eliot said, now slipping two fingers into Quentin and working him open like only he knew how.

Quentin was a moaning, desperate mess by the time Eliot had him prepped. He was practically begging, looking at Eliot with such loving, hungry desire that Eliot couldn't resist kissing him again. Quentin couldn't wait any longer, and if Eliot didn't start fucking him soon, he might have to break his restraints and take what he needed.

"Are you ready, my love?" Eliot asked, aligning his cock with Quentin's hole.

"I've been ready since we started, babe, now please... get inside me. Now," Quentin once again pleaded and no sooner had he said it, that he felt Eliot fill him up nice and slow.

Quentin's toes curled all over again, his feet moving to dig into Eliot's ass a bit to urge him deeper. "Mmm, there we go," he grinned lazily, looking up at Eliot with a blissful expression that consequently caused every dying or semi decaying plant in the area to bloom all over again, unintentionally cluing everyone in on what was happening.

"It's about fuckin time, too," Margo half-shouts in their general direction.

Quentin - already being god-adjacent at this point - figured out in that moment that he could hear really well, and turned bright pink as he urged Eliot to keep fucking him. "Apparently Margo thinks we should have done this sooner," he pointed out with a chuckle.

"My love, _I_ think we should have done this sooner," Eliot retorted with a smirk.

"I mean you're not wrong- _Oh, Eliot, right there_! But better late than never though, right? I mean- _Fuck_!" Quentin moaned as Eliot hit a particularly great spot, pressing back against the thrusts. "Fuck, we're gonna need a soundproof house, because if I don't get your dick on a regular basis I’m gonna get grumpy," Quentin whimpers in pleasure at the end of the sentence, trying to urge Eliot to fuck him harder. He knew that he was going to have all kinds of responsibilities as a god probably, but in that moment his entire universe revolved around Eliot.

"And the last thing we want is a grumpy god, so consider this a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make," Eliot slowed down to say, and then pounded Quentin with an extra hard thrust which was rewarded with an extra loud, almost pornographic, moan from Quentin.

"Hardly a sacrifice if you ask me," Quentin said, as Eliot leaned down for another hungry kiss.

"Q- I'm gonna-"

" _Yes Eliot_ -"

They climaxed more or less simultaneously, breathing each other in while they rode out their shared orgasm, Eliot releasing his telekinetic hold on Quentin’s wrists. Quentin’s arms almost immediately wrapped themselves around Eliot.

Quentin stayed with his arms and legs wrapped around Eliot, who had just about had the energy to pull out of Quentin. "Mmm, we're doing that every day, or as close to that as we can manage. I love you El," he murmured, sucking on Eliot's bottom lip gently, lacing their fingers together as they both tried to catch their breath.

"I love you too, Quentin. So, _so_ much. Perhaps we can do this every other day," Eliot joked, feeling barely able to move, so he stayed where Quentin had him.

Quentin chuckled. "Maybe I’ll just have to give you some Questy juice to perk you up. We have other magical things to try in bed after all," he teased cheekily, before he made a face, "okay, so Questy juice is probably a bad way of putting that," he admitted with a deep blush.

"I'll take a dose of your divine juice any time you want, my Lord," Eliot retorted, teasing him right back before kissing him again.

Quentin's giggle was cut off by the kiss, and before Eliot knew it, Quentin had rolled them so he was on top, and he kissed him thoroughly. "Mmm, so. I was thinking…" he murmured once the kiss broke, "Gods tend to have consorts- I mean, husbands or wives. Since you are my first, most loyal, and most handsome disciple... d’ya wanna, I don’t know, marry me, maybe?"

Eliot's eyes lit up with a joy he'd never known. Marrying Quentin... again? It was a no-brainer.

"Of course I do… my love, my Lord, my everything," Eliot answered in sheer adoration as he pulled Quentin down to kiss him again.

Quentin indulged in the kiss, his heart swelling with happiness from Eliot answering and agreeing to marry him. He wasn't sure why he had been nervous to ask, but now, all he could think about was having Eliot as his husband for the rest of their days. "Mm, My love, My Eliot, you were always home, it was never Fillory, not really," he admitted, wanting Eliot to know the depth of his devotion.

"And you were always my home. I was such a fool to throw that away-"

"You didn't. You tried, but you didn't. I wouldn't let you. I needed you- I still need you- in my life and in whatever capacity I can have you," Quentin said, almost on a roll with his confession, engulfing Eliot further in kiss after adoring kiss.

That night began the first of many beautiful nights for them, and in the days prior to the wedding, they discovered that the Fillorians recognized that Quentin-40 was different, mostly because every plant around Whitespire was blooming, even with things that were out of season.


	8. A Divine Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quentin and Eliot get Married! They also have a quickie before the reception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're at the home stretch guys! A sappy, romantic chapter awaits, with a bit more smut. 
> 
> (Also, I'm not SUPER familiar with Handfasting, so I tried to just wing it. I figure Fillorian marriage customs are fluid at times.)

On the morning of the wedding, Quentin was nervous. Eliot had done the whole Fillory wedding before, but he had never really done this. He stood as Margo and some of the others fawned over what he was going to wear, and all the preparations, but he was still nervous. He idly wished his dad was here, this was everything he had always wanted; to be married to a man he loved. He smiled though, as he brushed his fingers over the ring Eliot had given him. It was a gentle weight on his hand, and reminded him constantly of their bond.

"Are you nervous?" Julia asked with a smile as she started putting things in his hair.

"A- a little," Quentin admitted, "I just...don't want to mess this up, ya know?"

"You won't, Q. You got this. I have faith in you," Julia said, fully aware of the accidental joke she'd made as she gave him a encouraging peck on the cheek. The thing that surprised Quentin the most was that of all people to help him get ready, Alice was right there alongside Julia and she didn't even try to hide how happy she was that Quentin was happy.

Quentin chuckled softly, kissing Julia's cheek, before he turned to face Alice, who was holding a handkerchief that she proceeded to stick in his pocket. "Something Borrowed...?" She suggested with a smile.

He found himself feeling deeply emotional, and hugged both her and Julia. "Thank you. I... dunno what I'd do without you guys, honestly," he admitted.

"Crash and burn, probably," Julia said in jest, and turned to Alice who laughed with her in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Margo was putting the finishing touches on Eliot's make-up. She had a plan to make Quentin weak at the knees, and Eliot trusted her this one time. He usually did everything himself.

"-And he even promised me some of his divine spark tonight," Eliot nonchalantly said.

"Oh honey you're getting more than just his divine spark, if ya catch my drift," Margo retorted with an evil cackle, which Eliot joined in on.

It gradually died down, and Eliot became somewhat pensive.

"Ooooh, shit. All jokes aside, what if it happens and then it all goes to hell?"

"Eliot, baby, it won't. Do you love him?" Margo’s gaze was piercing, stern, reminding him that sometimes he over-thought things.

"With all my heart. I've never loved anyone as deeply as I love Quentin, Bambi, and it's terrifying," Eliot confessed, in the hope of getting his nervous jitters out before they get the better of him.

"I know. I feel the same way about Josh.  But we've got this, I promise you. Besides, you said you and Q had a fifty-year head start like a hundred years ago. If anything, you'll always have that to fall back on if things get rough," Margo said soothingly, a spark of her never-ending wisdom breaking through. It did the trick, and Eliot's nerves dissipated.

"Thank you Bambi, I don't know what I'd do without you," Eliot said, taking her hand in his and leaving a tender kiss on her forehead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quentin felt a little ridiculous in the finery that had been made for the wedding, but with everyone telling him how good he looked, he hoped Eliot would like it.

"Are you sure he's gonna like everything?" he asked quietly, not wanting to jostle the flowers in his hair by moving too much.

"Q, he's going to _love_ you. He does already; you just have to go out there, do the handfasting thing, say your vows, the dryads will bless your union, and then you'll be okay. Just breathe," Julia said calmly in an attempt to soothe him.

Alice put her hand on his arm. "When I saw you and Eliot after you got back with the key, I knew something was different. As someone who loves you, I knew that look in his eye, that... aw hell, I’ll just say it. He looks at you like you created his world, Q."

Quentin blinked, not used to the pep talks. Yet, he did feel better. "O-Okay, just breathe, right," he tried to calm himself, slowly managing it.

After what felt like eons, the time had at last come to begin the ceremony. While it was a Fillorian wedding, the ceremony did maintain some Earth elements, such as Margo walking Eliot down the aisle, while Julia and Alice both walked Quentin. Each seeing the way the other looked was breathtaking, and it gave them both the confidence to get this done. They were in this for the long haul; nothing could ruin this moment now.

The Dryad that was officiating the ceremony (where Margo pulled a Dryad out of her ass Quentin had no clue) waited until they were both in place, before she smiled softly. "Hello, and welcome everyone. This is an auspicious day, and I am proud to officiate the union of Eliot Waugh of Earth, and Quentin Coldwater of Earth, also known as Our Lord of the Quest." She looked to the two of them.

"Are you ready to begin?" She asked Quentin, who nodded, before looking to Eliot.

Quentin smiled, taking Eliot's right hand in his own, waiting for the Dryad to begin the handfasting part of the ceremony.

The Dryad proceeded by entwining their wrists with the pale blue ribbon, reciting the words, "With this ribbon, two souls become one. Two souls, who are each other's light in a time of darkness, who are each other's anchor when they feel lost, and whose love knows no mortal or celestial boundaries." The Dryad was done tying the knot, and held their entwined hands within her own, by way of sealing the union. "Mr Coldwater and Mr Waugh have written their own vows, if they'd like to begin..."

Quentin swallowed hard, trying to compose himself, since he was nervous. "Eliot. When we met, I was a nobody that had no idea what magic was, or even who I was supposed to be." He used his left hand to wipe his eyes a little, tears of joy starting to cloud his vision. He looked to Eliot again with a watery smile.

"Then you came along, meeting me at Brakebills' entrance, and ever since that day, you've been someone that I could count on, someone whom I never felt judged by, and someone that above all has never given up on me."

He cleared his throat, trying to keep it from cracking. "Our first lifetime together wasn't nearly enough for me. Will you do me the honor of another? Possibly a few more with the whole... divinity thing," his cheeks went pink as the crowd chuckled a little. "You're all I’ve ever wanted Eliot, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my days at your side."

It took Eliot every single ounce of his composure not to cry, but he could feel the emotion threaten to overwhelm him.

"Quentin... Oh Quentin, how were either of us to know, way back when you stumbled onto Brakebills campus, that you'd end up meaning so much to me? We've been through so much together, that we've proven time and time again that absolutely nothing - not even Monsters, and not even death - can keep us apart. We're peaches and plums. We’re proof of concept. From here to eternity," Eliot somehow managed to say before it got too much.

Quentin's smile was radiant, and there wasn't a dry eye in the audience. Not even Penny-23, who had only really shown up to the wedding because Julia needed a plus one. The dryad smiled her serene smile.

"With that said, by the powers granted to me by the gods, old... and new. I pronounce you husbands, united forevermore. You may now kiss if you so choose."

Quentin didn't need to be told twice, and now their hands were free of the ceremonial ribbon binding them together he pulled Eliot closer, kissing him passionately, holding onto him as the audience cheered and clapped in excitement. When the kiss ultimately ended, he smiled softly, whispering, "Peaches and Plums, my love. My husband," he grinned at the last part, unable to contain his joy.

"My husband... god it feels so good to say that again," Eliot echoed, unable to resist the temptation to kiss the god whose surname he'd chosen to take.

"I still can't believe you wanted to be a Coldwater," Quentin mused.

"You're my family now, Q. Now and forever," Eliot said in defense.

Quentin kissed Eliot again, and then took both of Eliot's hands. "Shall we? I think we've got some time to ourselves before the reception, Josh specifically fussed about having time to make things perfect," he pointed out, walking alongside Eliot as the audience threw flower petals and all sorts of things into the air to celebrate their union.

I know exactly what we can do in the time we have," Eliot teased into Quentin's ear.

"I mean... that was kinda the point," Quentin retorted with a devilish wink. "After all, we've gotta celebrate being newlyweds, right? Margo, Julia, and Alice wouldn't let us see each other before the wedding and frankly, all I can think about is how fucking stunning, beautiful, and fucking gorgeous you look right now," he teased. Luckily it wasn't that far from where the wedding had been, to a quiet area they could have a bit of fun in before the reception.

"Between you and me, my Lord... while that suit looks incredibly fetching on you, it would look so much better on my bedroom floor," Eliot said seductively, pulling Quentin to the corner and pouncing on him with a hungry kiss.

Quentin giggled a little. "Mmm, you'll have to help me get it back on for the reception. You're way more experienced with these things than me-oof!" He grinned as Eliot pounced on him, kissing back eagerly and carding his fingers through Eliot's hair. "Mmm, question is, should I give you the divine spark now? Or tonight after the reception, so we're not rushed?"

"I can wait for that... right now these clothes must come off, three hours ago," Eliot said, tugging at the lapels of Quentin's blazer, trailing his hands down to the buttons for swift undoing. He then slid the blazer down Quentin's shoulders until it fell to the floor in a heap.

Quentin was enthralled by how eager Eliot was. He didn't question it though; instead he made a quick hand gesture and all of Eliot's clothes disappeared, appearing folded neatly on the nightstand. "There. Sorry, I’m impatient." he grinned, before it was his turn to pounce on Eliot, kissing him passionately.

"You say impatient, I say ruthlessly efficient," Eliot said with a smirk against Quentin's lips as he continued to undress his divine husband, until Quentin thought 'fuck this' and with the same quick hand gesture, removed his own clothes which ended up equally neatly placed next to Eliot's. "There we go, now the fun can really begin," Quentin said as he kissed Eliot again and allowed his hands to explore every inch of Eliot's skin. Eliot was pressing Quentin against the wall in a wave of desperation and need, and with each push, Quentin whimpered by way of encouragement, as if to say _'yes, please, harder, don't_ stop'.

Quentin wrapped his legs around Eliot. "Mmm, wanna fuck me against the wall babe?" He asked with a playful smirk, "It’s not every day you get to have your way with a newly married god," he teased playfully, kissing Eliot slowly, just indulging himself in the marital bliss and the pleasure of being with Eliot.

Eliot submitted himself completely to Quentin, and said to him between kisses, "Whatever you want me to do, my Lord, I'll do it, and I'll do it gladly."

"Mm, as long as I have you, I'm whole," He whispered quietly, "So make love to me, my beautiful husband... Our Lord of the Festival," He grinned, already having figured out Eliot's god name, even though he didn't have the spark yet. Quentin hadn't told Eliot, but he would need to top Eliot for that, so he was saving it for later that evening.

"Mm, you know me so well... this is why I married you," Eliot said, really feeling the urge to just thrust into Quentin like his life depended on it. With barely a thought, Quentin was able to lube himself up, as though he knew what Eliot was thinking and feeling.

Quentin reached under him from where Eliot had him against the wall, slowly guiding Eliot's dick inside him with a wanton moan. "Mmm, we really are perfect for each other," he purred softly, kissing his husband passionately as he urged Eliot to fuck him.

Eliot didn't need to be told twice. Once his dick was inside Quentin, he wasted no time in letting go and giving his all into making Quentin feel good, and making Quentin feel good made him feel good. They were both completely lost in each other's heat, lost in each other's moans, lost in the moment. All that mattered was right here, right now. Eliot matched the rhythm of his thrusts with his stroking Quentin's dick for maximal pleasure.

"Q- my Lord- I'm close-"

"Come for me El-"

Quentin came first, in Eliot's hand and all over their torsos. A few thrusts later it was Eliot's turn to climax and come inside Quentin.

As the afterglow washed over them, Quentin snickered a little, hearing one of the gardeners bitching about having "just trimmed these damn plants".

"Mmm, El, I love you," Quentin murmured, kissing Eliot sweetly. "Let's stay like this for a few more minutes... before we have to get dressed," he added, feeling too comfortable being wrapped up in Eliot.

"I'm happy anywhere you are, Q," Eliot said softly in Quentin's ear, riding out the orgasm with softer thrusts into him.

Quentin still wasn't used to such compliments, but smiled and brushed his lips against Eliot's jaw. "Mmm, likewise. Home is where you are, my love." It was a simple statement, but oh so true. The longer Quentin thought about it, the more he realized that his heart had carved an Eliot shaped space inside itself, that only Eliot's love could fill.

They kissed once more, slowly and passionately, and Quentin moaned in protest at the sound of Margo calling his name from a distance. "Mmm, noooo, wanna stay here..." he sighed, and continued, "I think we're being summoned, my love."

Eliot sighed in agreed protest, and said, "Ugh, fine, let's get dressed and rejoin the party."

Quentin smirked, "Shouldn't take too long," and as quickly as he'd removed their clothes, they were once again fully dressed and ready to go.

Quentin did love the sensation of all of Eliot's cum in his ass. He smiled serenely, kissing Eliot's cheek and linking their arms together as they made their way to the reception. Quentin's magic had also restored Eliot's makeup to what it had been before they fucked, so Margo wouldn't beat him for messing it all up.


	9. Wedding Night - Sharing the Divine Spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More smut this way folks! This time Q gets to take the reins a little. 
> 
> One more chapter left, the Epilogue ties up some loose ends, and will include a surprise.

Once they'd rejoined the reception, they were surrounded by Earthlings and Fillorians alike, wishing them congratulations and all the best for their future together. The party flowed like a fine wine, everyone danced with each other, sharing lots of laughs and drinks; everything was perfect, much to Josh's joy. As the hours passed, the crowd gradually dwindled, until Eliot and Quentin felt completely justified in retiring for the night. Quentin still had a divine spark to give, after all.

Quentin was tired, but not in the ‘ _too tired to make love to my husband now that we're married_ ’ way, more in the ‘ _I’ve been socially overloaded, I just want to be left alone with my husband to have fun_ ’ way.

"Mmm, Eliot…" he kissed along Eliot's neck as they undressed, "Been thinking about this all night and now... I get to give you your spark," he purred. "Question is, do you want it the fun way? Or the boring way?" he teased.

"Well I wouldn't be Our Lord of the Festival if I said I wanted it the boring way," Eliot said, his not-answer a very clear answer to Quentin, as he buried his hand deep into Quentin's hair and tugged while Quentin continued to nip and suck on his neck.

"Mmm, I was hoping you'd say that," Quentin said, his breath hot against Eliot's skin, causing a shiver to go down Eliot's spine, travelling right to his dick, "It's my turn to worship you now, my Lord."

"Oh yeah? Come at me, Coldwater," Eliot said, almost taunting Quentin in a way only he knew he could get away with.

"Well, if it’s gonna be that kind of night..." Quentin teased Eliot, their clothing disappearing completely as he lifted Eliot effortlessly, carrying him toward the bed before laying him down carefully. "You are the most beautiful man I’ve ever met, you know that?" he asked, crawling over Eliot, kissing him hungrily as his fingers began to wander, exploring Eliot while also working his way down to rub two fingers against Eliot's hole, a little magic slicking his fingers so that he could ease them both into Eliot.

"Oh, _oh_ , it's like that, is it? _Daddy likey_ ," Eliot mused as he felt Quentin's slicked up fingers work his hole open, and he moaned whenever Quentin hit the sweet spot. Taking his moans as encouragement, Quentin wasted no time in adding a third finger to really get Eliot going, all the while using his tongue to lick at each of Eliot's nipples in turn, before making a trail of kisses down Eliot's body, until he reached Eliot's dick.

Quentin decided to drag it out a bit, worshiping Eliot's cock like it was a delicacy, tracing every vein and ridge with his tongue before slowly taking him into his mouth. "Mmm." He hummed, making eye contact with Eliot, all the while still fingering him, opening him up and making sure that by the time Eliot was ready, he'd be able to give Eliot everything.

Eliot felt completely helpless under Quentin, his back arched upwards, he was letting out loud, porn-star-grade moans; suddenly in the mood to make a proper show of being worshipped by his very own literal god. He buried a hand deep into Quentin's hair, tugging just the way he knew Quentin was weak for, which spurred Quentin to take all of Eliot's cock in his mouth.

Quentin loved seeing Eliot like this, and the tugging on his hair just made him even more into it. " _Mmm, Eliot…_ " He purred inside Eliot's mind, testing it out a little as he kept sucking and bobbing his head carefully, curling his fingers to find that perfect spot inside Eliot. He wasn't sure if Eliot would want to cum like this first, then move on to the main event, or not... but Quentin wanted to make this a night to remember for his perfect Husband.

Giving your newlywed husband his divine spark was not an everyday occurrence, so Quentin was absolutely determined to make this a special night. He knew Eliot was capable of cumming more than once in one session, so he planned to use this to his advantage. Perhaps he could make Eliot cum like this, and then at least once or twice more while he was thrusting into him and jerking him off at the same time, but the most important part of this was that he had to make sure he came inside Eliot.

Quentin wanted to memorize every look, every moan, and every shift in Eliot's body. He moaned a little as Eliot guided him a little more firmly, and as he kept working, he felt rather than heard the warning that Eliot was close. All that did was embolden his resolve, sucking and worshiping Eliot until he was swallowing every drop of his beloved's release.

"Mmm, fuck… I love doing that for you," Quentin grinned.

"And I love the way you do it for me, my Lord..." Eliot replied with pure bliss in his voice.

Quentin continued to work Eliot open with his fingers, and asked him between kisses to Eliot's torso, "You ready for the main event?"

"Always ready for you, babe," Eliot answered, still breathless.

Quentin then pulled his fingers out, did a quick spell to slick his cock, and then aligned it with Eliot's freshly-worked open hole. He teased Eliot with the head of his cock a little bit, and then slowly pushed his way inside Eliot, holding his hips still so he could push himself all the way in. The deeper, the better.

Quentin focused hard, not wanting to hurt Eliot, or upset the delicate balance of pleasurable exchange that they had set for themselves. "How does it feel?" He asked, kissing Eliot's neck, wanting to make sure that Eliot wasn't too overstimulated or overwhelmed by his thrusts. He started off slow, careful, methodical, but as time went on, they found a suitable rhythm, and Quentin really got into it.

Eliot showed no signs of distress. If anything, he was non-verbally encouraging Quentin to go harder and faster because he wanted to feel it all. He was pulling Quentin closer so he could kiss him deeply and without restraint.

Quentin indulged in the kiss, taking Eliot's non-verbal cues as sign to proceed, starting to move deeper and harder into Eliot, groaning against his lips as he reached between them to stroke Eliot slowly.

“Q, my Lord, please…” Eliot panted between moans and kisses.

“Please, what?” Quentin asked teasingly, while he continued to work at his gentler pace, bringing Eliot ever closer to the edge of climax.

“Please… harder… _faster!_  I can take it,” Eliot pleaded. He and Quentin were moaning against each other’s mouths and Quentin himself was feeling the urge to do precisely what Eliot was asking of him, though instead of going right in for the kill, he picked up the pace gradually to make sure he didn’t hurt Eliot in any way, until they were at last going at it hard and rough like they were dying to do.

Quentin had noticed that as a god, his physical capabilities had increased, so he definitely had to be careful with Eliot. The last thing he wanted was to cause his lover, his devoted husband, any pain (that he wasn’t interested in himself, of course). Now though, they were fucking intensely; a primal, desperate union between them that made Quentin crave marking Eliot up. So he did, he marked his husband’s throat with bites and hickeys, figuring that since they were married now, he had the right to stake his claim if he so wished.

“Mmm, I’m getting close, my love. Are you ready for my spark?” he asked low against Eliot’s ear, his hips snapping forward as he fucked Eliot at a feverish pace.

“Ready- when you are- my Lord-” Eliot panted out between gasps at getting so roughly and gloriously pounded. Quentin only needed to thrust once- twice- thrice more, and he was spilling into Eliot, the divine spark travelling with it.

Quentin stayed right where he was, with his cock still inside Eliot, as he rode out his orgasm and made sure he could feel Eliot’s body absorb the spark, so to speak. Once he knew it was done, that’s when he felt safe to pull out.

The light from the sharing of the spark was enough to shine out of the open window of their room. Fillorian residents would speak for days if not weeks about that glow, and the lights from Whitespire’s windows. Once it was all done, Quentin pulled Eliot into his arms, cuddling him and nuzzling him sweetly, rather like an aftercare gesture.

“Wow… Q, that feels… different,” Eliot mused, still breathless.  
  
“A good different, I hope?” Quentin asked softly against Eliot’s lips.

“A gorgeous different… I feel- I wanna say empowered, but that’s stating the obvious,” Eliot joked.

“Well, at least you didn’t have to die to get it,” Quentin quipped lightheartedly.

“Touché, Coldwater,” Eliot retorted, kissing his husband. Quentin kissed Eliot back, cupping his cheek.

“You’re gonna be feeling kinda all over the place for a day or so, but after that everything will settle down in good time,” he told Eliot, making sure he knew that what he was feeling was totally normal. This was perfect, finally being able to have eternity with Eliot, just like he’d always wanted. The entire day had been exhausting, but also wonderful, and now it was time for them to rest. Tomorrow was another day.

Eliot would have loved nothing more than to rest, but the spark that coursed through his veins was making him feel incredibly wired and energetic, it was like electricity. His entire body was tinging, but he thought it wiser to just ride out the feeling, so they could both rest up together. Quentin was quick to catch onto how Eliot was feeling, realizing that Eliot was bound to be way too wired to sleep, so it led to him taking another turn in worshiping, really worshiping Eliot. He worshiped Our Lord of the Festival and gave him everything Eliot had given him and then some, the depth of their union only growing as the night and morning wore on. Ultimately they drifted off to sleep, tangled up in each other, sated at long last.


	10. The Epilogue - Tying up Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newly Married, Quentin begins to tie up loose ends, resolving problems and preparing for new beginnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING - Christopher Plover makes an appearance at the beginning of the chapter. If his presence (or references to his actions) upset you, please take care of yourself and avoid this chapter. 
> 
> (The rest of the chapter does tie up a few other loose ends, and there's an attempt at smut, which doesn't end like you'd expect.)

Quentin's role as "Our Lord of the Quest," God of Fillory and the patron deity of adventurers and those who find peace in stories and tales (which Penny had a field day with, calling him Lord of the Nerds a few times) had led him to stay in Fillory a few extra days, in order to ceremonially crown Fen and Josh as the new High Kings of Fillory. Alice had done her research about those age suspension spells, and came to the conclusion that Fen and Josh’s years wouldn’t catch up with them if they had the sigils removed, so Quentin was able to remove them with ease. This gave Quentin an idea. He bid Josh and Fen farewell for the moment, then appeared in the Poison Room, where Christopher Plover was doing everything he could to figure out an escape.

“Quentin! Thank god you’re—“ 

Plover’s words were cut off by the look on Quentin’s face. “I’m here to remove the mark that is keeping you alive in here,” Quentin spoke with finality in his tone that sent a shudder through Plover.   
  
“But- Please, I- I’ve changed! It isn’t my fault that blonde _bitch_ threw me in here! I did everything to atone that – “

Quentin’s gaze hardened, and he began to stalk toward Plover like a predator cornering its prey. "I’m sorry, but that's just not good enough. You set shit in motion that hurt a lot of people and I cannot- I _will not-_ let that stand. It's about more than just Martin; it's about all of us. It's about how it has taken us forty timelines to defeat the monster that he ultimately became by your hand.”   
  
Quentin corners Plover, who is stupid enough to try to bash something over his head, which doesn’t even phase Quentin in his new divinity. “It's about how in each of those timelines we have died again and again, and even in this timeline not everybody got out unscathed. The ' _Blonde Bitch_ ' who pushed you in here? She made herself a Niffin _on purpose_ to fix your mistake.”   
  
“My stories saved your life, you **ungrateful** —“ Plover spits venom with his words until Quentin kneed him in the stomach, crouching to meet his gaze with disgust as Plover tried to recover from the hit. “I worshiped you like a god, Christopher. But now? I know the truth... Your story is over.”

He put his hand on Plover’s mark, his magic burning it away. Before Christopher could react, Quentin was gone, returning back to Fillory, and leaving the author to die. After that, Quentin continued to do his work, while the others continued their own journeys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Margo was doing double duty, travelling back and forth to spend time with Josh, while also spending time with Eliot back at Brakebills, and helping Alice and Kady with the Library; when Alice wasn’t doing research for her friends in her own time, for helping Julia reclaim her goddess-hood amongst all the other things the gang had promised to look into back at Whitespire after they’d defeated the Dark King.

Quentin hated being apart from Eliot, but he knew that time that passed there wasn't as long as it was in Fillory, so he focused on his work, finishing up the ceremony, before slipping off to go grab the rest of his and Eliot's things to take with him on the trip back.

He was almost done packing when he heard the familiar voice of his husband say, _"Our Lord of the Quest, I beseech thee, bestow upon us thy divine juice,"_ at which Quentin couldn't help but to laugh.

He telepathically answered Eliot's prayer with wit, saying _, "you know you can do that yourself now, don't you? Remember that one time you gave me a blow job and I came so hard into your mouth your eyes glowed green?"_ He swore he could feel Eliot blush from there, and then he said, _"I'll be right there, my love,"_ grabbing everything he managed not to forget and blipped right on over to where Eliot was, the Physical Kids Cottage.

When he arrived, he looked upon his beloved husband, smiling brightly as he said with a theatrical flair, "Our Lord of the Festival, please bestow upon me thy love and affection, for I am home!" He set their things aside for the moment so that he could cross the room and kiss Eliot tenderly. He briefly noticed that the cottage was somewhat quiet, and then he remembered something about Fogg saying that they hadn't used the cottage in a while after the whole "Library bogarting magic" thing.

Eliot took Quentin into his arms and followed up on that tender kiss with a deeper, more intimate kiss. Before they could allow themselves to get carried away though, Quentin pulled away and asked, "so… what's everyone up to over here?"

"Alice is still fixing what the Library fucked up, Kady is uniting the hedges and fixing that whole mess, Julia is taking over from Alice’s research on how to reclaim her own divinity, and uh, Penny is just Penny basically," Eliot commented, "and as for me, I've just been waiting for you, my favorite Lord."

Quentin blushed, a reaction that still hadn't gone away since they married. "Well at least they're all doing well; I was considering trying to pluck Penny-40 from the Underworld for Kady but... I'd rather not risk getting into a war with Hades, not after everything he’s done for me, so I’ll have to figure out how to make that work."

"Well, we can figure that out together, can't we? That said, do we _really_ want two Pennies in the same timeline?"

"Hmm... fair point. And Penny-40 seems to have adjusted pretty well to being there these days, he's in the Secrets Taken to the Grave department now, by the way. He's the one who greeted me in the elevator," Quentin explained as though he were just making idle gossip, and then he continued, "I dunno though El, I just feel bad for Kady; she loved him and he's gone, although… I suppose she is having fun with all those various Library ladies. Who knows, maybe before we know it she and Alice will hook up or something," Quentin shrugged. "I think we've earned a little bit of time to just... bask in the honeymoon period. I mean, we haven't really gotten a chance to celebrate our marriage since that first night, so maybe we should take a break for a little bit. Fillory is in good hands, and I know that if they need something, someone will pray and I’ll hear it."

"And you know I'm always happy to help you wherever you go, Q - ooh, why can't we be joint gods of Fillory, like Ember and Umber were?" Eliot asked with an almost uncharacteristic enthusiasm, snaking his arms around Quentin's waist.

"You know, that would actually be amazing, thank you," Quentin said, stepping ever closer into Eliot's space, allowing himself to be engulfed in Eliot's embrace. He placed one hand on Eliot's shoulder, the other on the back of his neck, and pulled him in for a soft kiss.

Quentin never ceased to be amazed by Eliot. No one had ever taken such an interest in not just Quentin himself, but also his interests. He was so happy that Eliot wanted to tend to Fillory alongside him. Those thoughts quickly fled, and his entire focus was Eliot, and the tender kiss that they were sharing. "I am the luckiest man, in this world, and any other," he murmured, before kissing him passionately again.

Eliot hummed into the kiss, and softly said, "oh no honey, that's my crown. I'm the luckiest man in the multiverse, because I have you," before kissing Quentin with a hint more heat than before.

"How about a joint crown then?" Quentin proposed, going along with Eliot's metaphor and losing himself in the heat of the kiss, the heat of the moment.

"Joint crown," Eliot conceded with a chuckle against Quentin’s lips, and they allowed themselves to get carried away for a moment, before he took Quentin's hand and led him upstairs to where his bedroom used to be.

Quentin followed happily. He wasn't always happy of course; even as a god, his depression was still a thing, and sometimes he thought terrible things about himself, but Eliot was there. Eliot was safety, he was home, Peaches, Plums, and a quiet little cottage in Fillory. He was security, a soft place to land, and a reassuring presence when Quentin felt small or inadequate. There was nothing in this world that he wanted more, than to spend the rest of eternity with Eliot.

Once the two gods reached what used to be Eliot's bedroom, no sooner was the door closed than Eliot was pouncing on Quentin like he hadn't seen him in years. Quentin reciprocated the desperation and hands began to wander, like they were exploring each other's bodies for the very first time. Eliot pressed his body flush against Quentin’s, and Quentin wrapped his arms around Eliot, wanting to get even closer though that were impossible.

_'Our Lord of the Quest, I beseech thee...'_

"Jesus dammit motherfucking Christ," Quentin cursed breathlessly as Eliot was kissing his neck just the way he liked.

"Mm, what is it babe?"

"Josh is praying to me, but I didn't catch everything. We gotta head back to Fillory," Quentin explained with exasperation in his voice as he re-fastened the top buttons of his shirt.

"Dammit Josh, we were getting into that... alright fine, let's go," Eliot said, taking Quentin's hand and a split second later they found themselves in the throne room of Castle Whitespire.

Quentin wasn't all that fond of the interruption, but he knew that this was the new normal, and as long as he and Eliot were together, hand in hand... everything would be okay.

"So, what seems to be the problem?"


End file.
